Media Landscape in Kenya

Over the first decade of the 21st century the number of media outlets has proliferated rapidly, and there has been a sharp increase in media access. The government has also invested in "digital villages", providing internet access in rural areas. Article 34 of Kenya's new constitution, introduced in 2010, guarantees the independence of the media in print and electronic form. However, according to the Open Society there has also been a concentration of media ownership, with existing outlets increasing their portfolios. A small number of organisations dominate the media, with the Nation Media Group owning multiple channels in Kenya and in other countries. The largest radio stations are KBC, Capital FM and East FM. The Open Society states that failing media channels have been bought by the large media groups, and politicians dominate media ownership. According to the Kenyan Daily Post, some media houses have political leanings and ties, while others are owned by politicians. Media Max, which comprises K24 and the People Daily, is majority owned by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Indirectly, former president Moi has holdings in Standard Group, one of the largest media organisations. Royal Media Services, influential in electronic media, has been partial to former president Mwai Kibaki.

TV
Between 1999 and 2010 the number of TV stations increased from 4 to 15. The largest TV channel is the state owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), followed by the privately owned Kenya Television Network, NTV and Citizen TV. The proliferation of television stations and the size of the audience has partly been driven by the decrease in price of TV sets, and increased access to electricity in rural areas.

Radio
In 1999 there were 10 radio stations. By 2010 there were 107. The largest radio stations are KBC, Capital FM and East FM. However, the most popular radio stations are vernacular regional stations, which are not available nationwide. 81 percent of Kenyans over the age of 15 use their vernacular language at home, and therefore have a preference for radio stations in which the local language is used.

Newspapers
The best selling newspapers are the Daily Nation, the Standard and the Star. An increasing number of Kenyans get their news from the websites of the Nation, the Standard, Capital FM and the KBC. The proliferation of radio and TV stations as well as the internet has damaged newspaper sales, with the proportion of people reading a newspaper over the past four weeks at 48 percent in 2011, down from 55 percent in 2007.

Oil reporting
The recent oil discoveries in Kenya have been covered across the Kenyan media. Coverage by the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation, Standard Digital News and the Daily Nation has focused on the initial excitement surrounding the discoveries, the potential of oil and the danger of the resource curse, and the recent protests against Tullow's activities in Turkana.

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