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| KenTV, Sky to air Kenyan news in Europe |
| Written by Kui Kinyanjui | November 21, 2007 More than 300,000 Kenyans living in Europe can now access home news on television following the launch of a partnership between pioneer Internet television firm KenTV and satellite broadcaster Sky.
Under the partnership, the Kenyan company will broadcast its content on Sky’s European network, broadening the reach of the station, which started as an Internet broadcaster.
The service,
which went live on November 19, is targeted at Kenyans living in Europe.
“A TV service creates a better sense of community and national spirit among Kenyans living abroad,” said Mr Joseph Muchemi, Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
KenTV is among a host of television channels that broadcast through the Internet giving consumers access to news from all corners of the world.
Local broadcasters such as NTV have latched onto this new channel with the launch of a partnership with YouTube to offer free content to viewers throughout the globe.
The other major player on the local television scene KTN has partnered with Africast.com to offer Internet-based broadcasts for as little as Sh400 per day.
Unlike many other initiatives, KenTV is free-to-air and has its own team of dedicated news gatherers and producers who create content solely for broadcasting through the Internet portal.
“This has been a major contributor to our
success in drawing viewers and advertisers to the website,” said KenTV’s founder James Gachiri during the launch of the service in the UK.
The Sky and KenTV collaboration is the first partnership that enables a traditional broadcaster receive content from an African-based Internet television station. Content is streamed through Sky Channel 194. The site also features content from Ben TV, a Nigerian TV channel based in the UK.
In recent years, Sky, one of Europe’s largest broadcasters, has pursued an aggressive strategy geared towards placing it at the forefront of the convergence between traditional media and the growing Internet business.
A recent study by UK research group Telephia found that Sky’s new digital offerings are now among the most popular with consumers.
“Consumers are tapping into three screens — television, PC and mobile phone — for their news and entertainment. Broadcasters must develop an integrated strategy across the three
screens to reach, maintain and expand their audience,” said Reza Chady, Telephia’s Europe Managing Director.
In line with the changing broadcasting environment and new developments in technology, KenTV plans to push its streaming service to the mobile phone, said its local office.
![]() | | The Standard Online | Nov 21 2007 | | | | | | New TV service for Kenyans in Britain Published on November 21, 2007,
12:00 am By Ben Agina Kenyans in Europe can now watch Kenyan news on a new television channel. The channel is a partnership between Kentv and Ben TV, a Nigerian TV company based in the UK. Kentv was started by media entrepreneur, Mr James Gachiri and was launched recently in London by Kenya’s High Commissioner, Mr Joseph Muchemi. The transmission is streamed through Sky Channel 194. "With the flick of a button, it will now be possible to watch Kenyan news several times a day in the comfort of viewers homes," said Gachiri. Muchemi said although Kenyans had established a big business presence in Europe they still maintained strong links with local activities and needed a new channel to update them with local national news. "The forthcoming General Election has engaged the minds of Kenyans in both debate
and development agenda and it is important that they know what is going on," said Muchemi. Gachiri said the service had created a better sense of community and national spirit and was a focal point of information and entertainment. | Most popular today
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| FOREX |
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Loss/Gain |
Average |
| Kenya Shilling |
| USD |
 0.398 |
66.606 |
| Euro |
 0.284 |
89.759 |
| Pound |
0.143 |
132.359 |
| SA Rand |
0.128 |
8.985 |
| 1Ksh/Tsh |
0.135 |
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| 1Ksh/Ush |
0.147 |
25.680 |
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Yesterday's Top 5 Gainers
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Closing price |
Change % |
Olympia
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21.25 |
4.94 |
Kenya Oil Co.
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101.00 |
4.12 |
KPLC
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220.00 |
1.38 |
E. A. Cables
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46.25 |
1.09 |
CMC Holdings
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15.40 |
0.98 |
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Yesterday's Top 5 Losers
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Closing price |
Change % |
Crown Berger
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42.00 |
8.20 |
H'sing Finance
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32.75 |
5.76 |
Scangroup
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24.50 |
4.85 |
TPS EA
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84.50 |
4.52 |
Kapchorua Tea
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92.00
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3.16
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kentv is the best thing here in the USA thousands of miles from home-thanks guys -ongete Texas |
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| Steadman in new pact with online news provider KenTV |
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| Written by Kui Kinyanjui |
15-August-2007:Consumer market research firm Steadman has entered into a content streaming agreement with online news service, KenTV, to enable Kenyans in the diaspora access up to date information on the home market.
The partnership involves publication of a weekly synopsis of public opinion on the KenTV website. “The data will be based on Steadman’s surveys to be conducted on a weekly basis,” said Mr George Waititu, the Steadman managing director.
Mr Waititu said the launch of the product is in response to increased demand for unbiased information by Kenyans living abroad. Mr Kimaita Magiri, the managing director of KenTV, said heavy investment at home by Kenyans in diaspora has increased their appetite for information that will give them a true picture of on goings on the ground.
Once viewers log on to KenTV, they will be able to select opinions polls of their interest on a weekly basis. Each report will retail at an average of Sh250. Consumers also have the option of making requests for data of specific interest.
Steadman, which has a research team of 420 specialists and 3,000 field operatives, said the service is also available locally and can be paid for suing credit cards. Steadman’s research portfolio has grown in stature after the firm correctly predicted the outcome of the 2005 referendum with 100 per cent accuracy.
Publication of opinion polls data on-line is seen as another step in the push to re-integrate the over 2 million Kenyans in diaspora into the local economy.
An increasing number of companies are reaching out to Kenyans living abroad, asking them to participate in the local economy.
Kenya Power and Lighting Company has, for example, been marketing its Umeme Pamoja rural electrification campaign abroad.
Kenyans in diaspora, who remit an average Sh70 billion annually, are the focus of a high level government-sponsored conference that is taking place this week. The second Kenya Small and Medium Enterprise Exhibition and Diaspora Trade and Investment conference started yesterday, amid plans to streamline efforts to unite the investment bids of SMEs and Kenyans living abroad.
Key objectives of the conference, which ends tomorrow, are to establish a Diaspora databank which will provide names of organisations and associations affiliated to Kenyans abroad.
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Loss/Gain |
Average |
| Kenya Shilling |
| USD |
0.429 |
66.702 |
| Euro |
0.335 |
91.365 |
| Pound |
0.621 |
135.751 |
| SA Rand |
0.037 |
9.399 |
| 1Ksh/Tsh |
0.264 |
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0.099 |
24.826 |
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Last week's Gainers
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Closing price |
Change % |
Diamond Trust
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101.00 |
13.5 |
Williamson Tea
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127.00 |
10.4 |
Kapchorua Tea
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108.00 |
8.5 |
AccessKenya Group
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14.95 |
8.3 |
Kengen Ltd
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30.25 |
6.1 |
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Last week's Losers
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Closing price |
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H'sing Finance
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32.00 |
9.9 |
National Industrial credit bank
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1500.00 |
6.3 |
Equity Bank
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122.00 |
6.2 |
Eaagads Ltd
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50.00 |
3.8 |
Total Kenya
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31.50
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3.1
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| Kenyans in diaspora hook up to innovative KenTv |
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| Written by Kui Kinyanjui |
Mr. Magiri
06-August-2007: Two takes in, and Catherine Wanjiru finally gets her levels right. A grim-faced producer cues her for the start of the bulletin. “Good evening, and welcome to KenTv News,” she says.
To the hundreds of thousands of Kenyans spread across the diaspora, Catherine’s is the warmly nostalgic voice that highlights the events of the day every evening, from 7 pm London time. KenTv is the first locally owned, free-to-air Internet television station — a test-bed for opportunities ahead of the expected shift from analogue to digital TV.
Back at the company’s studio in Nairobi the director Kimaita Magiri monitors the broadcast as he uploads a music show and explains the concept behind Kenya’s latest tech start-up.
“Our aim is to create a Kenyan village on the Internet and this is the first step in that direction. You would be surprised at how much demand there is for our services,” he said.
Within the first nine months of its launch, the website boasts of 25,000 hits a day, nearly equalling the more established sites. The station has been particularly popular with the Kenyan diaspora with consumers tuning in from countries as diverse as Germany and the United Arab Emirates.Majority of viewers are from USA and Europe.It was initiated and developed in london where all the work is overseen.Plans are underway to broadcast on Sky Tv in Europe
All site visitors are attracted by daily news broadcasts that are relayed via the Internet using the streaming technology. News is gathered and compiled by a slim team in the same manner as regular television broadcasts.
“This is the future of mainstream television in five years,” said Mr Kimaita, who credits the growth of his business to the growing use of the Internet to broadcast videos though mediums such as YouTube.
Programmes range from the daily news broadcast to music shows, highlights of popular sports events and even religious services by popular pastors located in Kenya. “We identified a niche - Kenyans in the diaspora have been hungry for local content all these years.
They are willing to wait up two weeks for local newspapers, so imagine the appeal of daily broadcasts of news available the same day,” he said.
Unlike other broadcast start-ups, Internet television presents unique challenges to potential investors. A sound knowledge of technology, access to a reliable Internet connection, and finding the right talent are major challenges the start-up continually faces.
A heavy investment in back-end technology such as servers to store the large broadcast files and other data is the biggest cost, with staff coming a close second.
Personnel must be multi-talented in filming, reporting and editing, and are hard to find. Advertising was initially hard to come by, who faced the problem of convincing advertisers that the concept was viable. KenTv now boasts a portfolio that includes Nakumatt, PostaPay and Housing Finance among others.The move to Sky TV will attract plenty of advertisers in UK.To watch the tv site just got to www.kentv.net and register then sit back and watch all the latest from kenya daily for free.With the elections preparations and the economy making waves this is the place to watch it all.
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