Get in the Kitchen, the second most popular show on Kenya’s private TV station, K24, is setting the trend in content production that is changing the television dynamics in the country and is causing great upheaval. A boom in locally produced programmes aided by the government and the global digital landscape is making the the broadcasting industry of Kenya to rival Nigeria’s multi billion dollar, Nollywood.
The hope is Kenyawood, with 250,000 people in the film industry and worth Ks40bn ($400m) a year. Lizzie Chongoti, Chief executive of the Kenya Film Commission says “With the appetite for local content growing and so many young people interested in the creative industries, I am confident could get there in three to five years”
As the largest economy in East Africa, Kenya has 64 TV stations, with a further 20 due to be established this year. The government has ruled that broadcasters must air 40% of local content, by July or face fines and loosing their licence. That threshold for local content is expected to increase to 60% within four years. Content distribution is also having a transformation like in production. This is partly due to the government’s decision to turn off the analogue signal last year, leaving many households without television access as they could not afford digital television or a set-up box.
Leo Boruett, director of multimedia services at the Communications Authority of Kenya says “Broadcasters must not just look at their balance sheets but at what they have done for the production industry. There might be less profit now, but they will develop the industry and, in the long run, that will be better for all.”