Kenya Television Network
Encyclopedia
Kenya Television Network (KTN) is the leading television station
in Kenya
with its headquarters at the I & M Towers in downtown Nairobi
. Its headquarters will change later on in the year as it moves in with its parent company's other subsidiaries at the newly-built Standard Group Centre on Mombasa road. It was founded in March 1990 by Jared Kangwana and was the first non-pay privately owned TV-station in Africa
, and the first to break KBC's
monopoly in Kenya. KTN became famous for Activism Journalism in the 1990s, developing a sophisticated, aggressive and unique style news coverage, and has continued with the same hard line stance, issues-based reporting to date, branding itself as the 'authoritative and independent' news channel. KTN became the model which governments in Africa used when they allowed for media liberalisation to take place in the late 1990s. Many of the new radio and TV stations across East and Central Africa not only relied on KTN as a model, but benefited directly in terms of recruiting former KTN staff to run their operations.
and its environs, but abandoned plans to scramble its signal and for most of the 1990s derived its revenue from advertising and TV production services. Founded by Jared Kangwana, its early success attracted bids for joint ownership by London-based Maxwell Communications, by South African MNET, and by the then ruling party Kenya African National Union
(KANU).
The station won the bid to carry the 1992 Olympics, as well as the rights to several other international events. The negotiations for global television rights to the 1992 Olympic festivals in Albertville
and Barcelona
marked the first time that the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) had exercised complete authority over financial discussions with the world's television networks. KTN has proven adept at competing internationally against other media corporations. Effectively, the competition represented KTN forced the state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Service
, as well as other stations in neighbouring African states to improve the quality of programming.
While Jared Kangwana had plans to expand KTN, and had built new facilities to house the station, he allowed free rein to KTN's news division. Then ruling party KANU functionaries are said to have frequently called the newsroom and editors on behalf of the state-president of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi
, to demand the spiking of KTN news stories. Such control was said to have been sanctioned by Moi himself, who had developed the habit while he was still vice-president under state-president Jomo Kenyatta
. As vice-president, Daniel arap Moi had grown used to making regular calls to the offices of The Standard
which was foreign-owned at that time, and to other media outlets, to demand that they drop stories or modify them. The practice was revived when KTN was established.
Nonetheless, the success of KTN inspired Africans. As a result, several independent productions were set up in Kenya
to generate programs to service both KTN and KBC, as well as other stations that were to be established. Many of the exile communities from neighbouring African states relied on KTN to air their concerns. The station fostered a marked change in the urban culture of Kenya as well.
The vast majority of beneficiaries of the growth of KTN were the music and theatre industries, as well as the African fashion industry that benefited from the improved media culture. Nairobi, already the hub of the East and Central African region, became even more fashionable, hosting more international events and trade shows, and attracting more tourists from all over the world. The quality and popularity of programming at KTN was remarkably exceptional, even by international standards. In these early years, Kenyan commercials began to win international awards, and foreign correspondents flying into Africa came increasingly to depend on KTN reporters for orientation and research. KTN also provided briefings for relief agencies and corporate investors, as well as access to KTN facilities for editing and filing stories to stations outside Africa.
Even though it was privately owned, KTN struggled to provide independent news coverage because of excessive political interference with its editorial direction. The political interference finally forced KTN to scrap the transmission of local news for over one year between 1993 and 1994. In the editorial meeting at which the announcement was made by the General Manager Mike Roles, the reporters in the newsroom stood stunned while Roles rationalised the decision to scrap the reporting on local news, claiming that it was necessitated by financial considerations only.
Eventually KTN was acquired by the Standard Group, consisting of African business people, and partly owned by Daniel arap Moi. [The Standard] then had a daily circulation of 54,000 and this has improved remarkably since a 2008 relaunch as 'the bold new Standard' taking on prime competitor the Daily Nations readership. It also publishes a Swahili
paper called Baraza which has since been continued though it retains it in its official name KTN Baraza Limited. Besides The Standard and KTN, the media house operated Capital FM
radio which broadcasts in most urban Kenyan towns and world wide via the internet. Capital FM has since been acquired by Chris Kirubi a Kenyan businessman. The Standard Group in 2008 announced its intentions to enter the lucrative business and subsequently acquired Toads Media Limited, which operated Radio Simba and had national frequencies. The station went off-air in early 2009 and is expected to resume transmission after a rebrand as part of the Standard Group family.
Kangwana later sued the government and the Standard Group for moneys owed him and for compensation for his losses.
The KTN came at a very opportune moment as it was in the middle of the multiparty democracy movement in Africa, and it became the first TV station to give voices to the subversives, dissidents and opposition politicians. KTN covered the most controversial events that included the volatile political chaos of the transition period from dictatorial single-party state
systems to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. KTN reporters endured being tear gassed alongside the opposition luminaries in Africa's transition to democracy. KTN was also the first station to send reporters into Somalia after the fall of the Siad Barre
regime. The station actively sought to cover stories in the rest of Africa, an attitude that was uncommon for TV stations in Africa at the time.
The TV editors, reporters, producers, and anchors of KTN during those critical years of the 1990s included Catherine Kasavuli, Jacqueline Thom, Raphael Tuju
who had also reported on the first multiparty elections in Zambia, Fayaz Qureishi Lydia M. Manyasi, and Charles Wachira
who covered the refugee crises in the region. There were also Christine Nguku, Mercy Oburu, CNN Anchor Zain Verjee
, Robert Ochieng, Patricia Gashengu, Annette Kanana-Bazira, who produced an interfaith show on Sundays, Ruth Mutia, Njoroge Mwaura, Isaiah Kabira, Jeff Koinange
, as well as the editors Sammy Masara, Abel Ndumbu, Mike Roles and Herman Igambi.
Several of the reporters then and now, including Mercy Oburu, Christine Nguku and the producer Annette Bazira honed their skills at Daystar University
, a liberal arts university that produced influential alumni in the late 1980s and early 1990s and today who have had a disproportionately large impact on media and politics in Africa.
KTN staff in its early years included Joseph Warungu who went on to become the head of BBC's Africa Service. Another KTN alumnus is Dan Kashagama, the founder of the African Unification Front
, who originally covered the Somalia desk at KTN. Kathleen Openda, was for a long time during her stint at KTN the most popular broadcast personality in East and Central Africa. Ms. Openda also launched several high-impact programs: The Breakfast Show Third Opinion and Enterprise Kenya. The first two were live, interactive shows that invited Kenyans to tackle issues of governance and civil society, and to express themselves freely on a wide range of topics while the latter highlighted entrepreneurs in the country and is still on air to date.
KTN's personalities also doubled as celebrities in Africa. Jaqueline Thom was a Miss World contestant and Miss Kenya prior to joining KTN as a political reporter and news anchor. Jeff Koinange is now a lead reporter for K-24 and a former CNN reporter. Ahmed Abdullahi Igge, a Freelance Journalist currently based in the USA is also one of the most popular TV News reporters to have started a career at KTN (1998 to 2002). Ahmed was among the first to help launch KTN Leo, the Swahili news at 7:00pm (Ahmed was the first KTN staff to have been approached by Swaleh Mdoe, then of Nation TV. Swaleh Mdoe went on to play a vital role in the launching of KTN Leo). Ahmed was also given the opportunity to start the International News Roundup by the then Head of News Isaiah Kabira, who now heads the Presidential Press Unit at State House Nairobi. Former news editor Oliver Litondo is also an international celebrity film actor. Litondo's filmography includes major parts in Hollywood blockbusters, including The Lion of Africa alongside Brian Dennehy
. In Sheena
, the 1984 remake of the classic, Litondo plays Chief Haromba. He also features in the classic Italian movie Orzowei, Il Figlio Della Savana. Oliver Litondo also played alongside James Earl Jones
, Isabella Rossellini
, John Lithgow
, and Tony Todd
in Ivory Hunters. Litondo mentored many of the original group of reporters during the early 1990s. He studied medicine in the US, before taking media studies at Harvard University
.
Another big name KTN personality and pioneer was presenter Jimmy Gathu who hosted music shows every weekday evening namely Rap'Em, Kass Kass, Rastrut, Jam-a-Delic and Rythmix. He also hosted the kids' show Club Kiboko on Saturday mornings. He then went on to work in radio. His music show was then taken over by Esther Mbondo and Club Kiboko was hosted by former Miss India Kenya and radio personality, Pinky Ghelani.Jimmy Gathu was also one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop music in Kenya.
newspaper.
In spite of the political constraints, KTN has remained the avant-garde station in Africa, pioneering and initiating trends in African journalism. Although no longer as political as in the early 1990s, especially because the original frontline reporters of KTN have moved on, or have mellowed, the next generation of reporters includes exceptionally talented journalists such as Boni Odinga who does social commentaries, Robert Soi who covers sports, Wangeci Murage, a renowned drama producer and director, reporters and news anchors Beatrice Marshall, and Managing Editor, Quality and Product Development and former SABC correspondent and two time CNN African Journalist of the Year Award winner Linus Kaikai. Several dozens of KTN's reporters have won international awards for journalism. Former Business news editor Patrick Maigua was the 1999 electronic business journalist of the year and went on to win the world acclaimed CNN Africa Journalist of the Year business category in 2003.KTN pioneer cameramen were, Pius Kilaiti, John Mutahi, Aggrey Mutali who helped to shape a new dimension in TV news coverage.
KTN alum Charles Wachira went on to become editor of Society Magazine in Kenya, and worked for the Inter Press Service, for NewsAfrica and Africa Today while based in Harare, and also for the Third World Network and the British based PANOS.
KTN remains noteworthy given Africa's media history. Ironically, KTN's reputation helped to set Kenya apart for its apparent ability to maintain one of the few, by international standards, vibrant media outlets while undergoing severe political upheaval, violent repression and cultural transition.
Despite increased competition from new entrants, the station's news brand has continuously stood out. The station relaunched in December 2008, changing its logo and introducing a robotic telehead. The slogan also changed to Always KTN from Your Channel, Your Choice
In 2007, KTN augmented its efforts to target the youth market launching Str8up hosted by a vibrant team of Christine
, Lina
, Andrew
, Anjlee, Grace
, Myra
, Jonathan
and Yolanda
.
The show has recently pulled another first in the market with KTN Financial Markets Live, a weekdays afternoon business bulletin complete with interviews and analyses. The station became the first local channel to run live trading data from the Nairobi Stock Exchange in late May 2009.
awards winner Esther Arunga, Lillian Muli, Michael Oyier, the 2008 CHAT
awards winner John Allan Namu, Janet Mbugua, Boni Odinga, Evelyne Wamboi,Esther Kahumbi, Ahmed Dharwesh,Ali Manzu, Lulu Hassan, Ann Ngugi, Saddique Shabaan, Larry Madowo, Noah Otieno, Newton Ndebu, Muraya Kariuki, Samuel Kantai, Mwendwa Kiogora, Anne Soy, Mohamed Ali of the ground-breaking investigative series 'Jicho Pevu' fame, Isabella Kituri, Purity Mwambia Robert Soi and Anjlee Gadvi. KTN has always been known as a station that nurtures talent and delivers accurate and informative news and features.
KTN also aires the best and latest TV series including 24
, Prison Break
, Monk
, ER
, Third Watch
, Lost
, Desperate Housewives
, Scrubs
, How I Met Your Mother
, NCIS
, Gilmore Girls
, The Unit
, Standoff
, and The Practice
.
Although with the new Kenyan constitution taking effect KTN is embarking on enhancing local programming through producing and airing shows such as Mheshimiwa, Changing times , Be the judge
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
with its headquarters at the I & M Towers in downtown Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. Its headquarters will change later on in the year as it moves in with its parent company's other subsidiaries at the newly-built Standard Group Centre on Mombasa road. It was founded in March 1990 by Jared Kangwana and was the first non-pay privately owned TV-station in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and the first to break KBC's
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation is the state-run media organization of Kenya. It broadcasts in both English and Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation started its life in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. In 1964, when Kenya became an independent country, the...
monopoly in Kenya. KTN became famous for Activism Journalism in the 1990s, developing a sophisticated, aggressive and unique style news coverage, and has continued with the same hard line stance, issues-based reporting to date, branding itself as the 'authoritative and independent' news channel. KTN became the model which governments in Africa used when they allowed for media liberalisation to take place in the late 1990s. Many of the new radio and TV stations across East and Central Africa not only relied on KTN as a model, but benefited directly in terms of recruiting former KTN staff to run their operations.
History
Since 1990, Kenya Television Network has been in operation, offering a mixture of relayed re-transmission of Cable News Network (CNN) programming, business and entertainment, as well as MTV, and European, American and Australian programming, in addition to programs developed in other African states. KTN also filed stories for use by affiliated foreign stations. KTN reporters doubled as foreign correspondents and news sources for CNN World Report, BBC, and VOA. Transmitting on the UHF channel, KTN started out as a pilot project for a 24-hour subscriber TV service in NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
and its environs, but abandoned plans to scramble its signal and for most of the 1990s derived its revenue from advertising and TV production services. Founded by Jared Kangwana, its early success attracted bids for joint ownership by London-based Maxwell Communications, by South African MNET, and by the then ruling party Kenya African National Union
Kenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
(KANU).
The station won the bid to carry the 1992 Olympics, as well as the rights to several other international events. The negotiations for global television rights to the 1992 Olympic festivals in Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
marked the first time that the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) had exercised complete authority over financial discussions with the world's television networks. KTN has proven adept at competing internationally against other media corporations. Effectively, the competition represented KTN forced the state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Service
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation is the state-run media organization of Kenya. It broadcasts in both English and Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation started its life in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. In 1964, when Kenya became an independent country, the...
, as well as other stations in neighbouring African states to improve the quality of programming.
While Jared Kangwana had plans to expand KTN, and had built new facilities to house the station, he allowed free rein to KTN's news division. Then ruling party KANU functionaries are said to have frequently called the newsroom and editors on behalf of the state-president of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
, to demand the spiking of KTN news stories. Such control was said to have been sanctioned by Moi himself, who had developed the habit while he was still vice-president under state-president Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyattapron.] served as the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation....
. As vice-president, Daniel arap Moi had grown used to making regular calls to the offices of The Standard
The Standard (Kenya)
The Standard is one of the leading newspapers in Kenya with a 20% market share. It is the oldest newspaper in the country owned by The Standard Group, which also runs the Kenya Television Network . The Standard Group is headquartered at the I&M Bank Tower in Nairobi.- History :The newspaper was...
which was foreign-owned at that time, and to other media outlets, to demand that they drop stories or modify them. The practice was revived when KTN was established.
Nonetheless, the success of KTN inspired Africans. As a result, several independent productions were set up in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
to generate programs to service both KTN and KBC, as well as other stations that were to be established. Many of the exile communities from neighbouring African states relied on KTN to air their concerns. The station fostered a marked change in the urban culture of Kenya as well.
The vast majority of beneficiaries of the growth of KTN were the music and theatre industries, as well as the African fashion industry that benefited from the improved media culture. Nairobi, already the hub of the East and Central African region, became even more fashionable, hosting more international events and trade shows, and attracting more tourists from all over the world. The quality and popularity of programming at KTN was remarkably exceptional, even by international standards. In these early years, Kenyan commercials began to win international awards, and foreign correspondents flying into Africa came increasingly to depend on KTN reporters for orientation and research. KTN also provided briefings for relief agencies and corporate investors, as well as access to KTN facilities for editing and filing stories to stations outside Africa.
Even though it was privately owned, KTN struggled to provide independent news coverage because of excessive political interference with its editorial direction. The political interference finally forced KTN to scrap the transmission of local news for over one year between 1993 and 1994. In the editorial meeting at which the announcement was made by the General Manager Mike Roles, the reporters in the newsroom stood stunned while Roles rationalised the decision to scrap the reporting on local news, claiming that it was necessitated by financial considerations only.
Eventually KTN was acquired by the Standard Group, consisting of African business people, and partly owned by Daniel arap Moi. [The Standard] then had a daily circulation of 54,000 and this has improved remarkably since a 2008 relaunch as 'the bold new Standard' taking on prime competitor the Daily Nations readership. It also publishes a Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
paper called Baraza which has since been continued though it retains it in its official name KTN Baraza Limited. Besides The Standard and KTN, the media house operated Capital FM
98.4 Capital FM
98.4 Capital FM is a Kenyan urban music radio station. Its offices are situated on the 19th floor of Lonrho House, along Standard Street in Nairobi's Central Business District. It is owned by Chris Kirubi.- Background :...
radio which broadcasts in most urban Kenyan towns and world wide via the internet. Capital FM has since been acquired by Chris Kirubi a Kenyan businessman. The Standard Group in 2008 announced its intentions to enter the lucrative business and subsequently acquired Toads Media Limited, which operated Radio Simba and had national frequencies. The station went off-air in early 2009 and is expected to resume transmission after a rebrand as part of the Standard Group family.
Kangwana later sued the government and the Standard Group for moneys owed him and for compensation for his losses.
Media revolution
When the Kenya Television Network (KTN) opened in 1990, it caused a major shift in the role of electronic media in Africa. The station caused a stir when it broadcast news bulletins that did not start with reports about a Head of State as was common throughout Africa at that time. KTN became so popular that there was a massive spike in television sales in Kenya. KTN was watched closely by other governments in Africa to see how it would impact the public and the politics. The government of Uganda sent analysts to observe KTN activities and used it in the model station for media liberalisation in Uganda. Some of the reporters at KTN were invited to help start and manage new private radio and TV stations in Kenya and in other African states.The KTN came at a very opportune moment as it was in the middle of the multiparty democracy movement in Africa, and it became the first TV station to give voices to the subversives, dissidents and opposition politicians. KTN covered the most controversial events that included the volatile political chaos of the transition period from dictatorial single-party state
Single-party state
A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...
systems to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. KTN reporters endured being tear gassed alongside the opposition luminaries in Africa's transition to democracy. KTN was also the first station to send reporters into Somalia after the fall of the Siad Barre
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
regime. The station actively sought to cover stories in the rest of Africa, an attitude that was uncommon for TV stations in Africa at the time.
Trail blazers
The station's newest trail blazer has got to be Anchor and award-winning Reporter John-Allan Namu. He was named the 2009 CNN Multichoice African Journalist of the Year, after winning in two different categories, a record for the competition. He co-won with cameramen JB Mwangi and James Moturi for his stories In the Shadow of the Mungiki and Scars and SufuriasThe TV editors, reporters, producers, and anchors of KTN during those critical years of the 1990s included Catherine Kasavuli, Jacqueline Thom, Raphael Tuju
Raphael Tuju
Raphael Tuju, EGH is a Kenyan politician and a Presidential Candidate in Kenya’s forthcoming general elections. With a successful background in the private sector, Tuju joined politics in 2002 and has served the Government of Kenya in various capacities since that time.His most recent appointment...
who had also reported on the first multiparty elections in Zambia, Fayaz Qureishi Lydia M. Manyasi, and Charles Wachira
Charles Wachira
Charles Wachira is an African journalist who is the founder and managing editor of Financial Post in Kenya. He began his reporting career at Kenya Television Network doing activism journalism in the early 1990s...
who covered the refugee crises in the region. There were also Christine Nguku, Mercy Oburu, CNN Anchor Zain Verjee
Zain Verjee
Zain Verjee is a Canadian journalist, who was born and raised in Kenya prior to immigrating to Canada. Verjee is co-anchor of CNN International's European daytime program World One. She also serves as the international correspondent for American Morning, the daily morning news program on CNN US...
, Robert Ochieng, Patricia Gashengu, Annette Kanana-Bazira, who produced an interfaith show on Sundays, Ruth Mutia, Njoroge Mwaura, Isaiah Kabira, Jeff Koinange
Jeff Koinange
Jeff Koinange is a Kenyan journalist and chief reporter at TV station K24. He previously served as the Africa correspondent for CNN and CNN International from 2001 to 2007.-Background:...
, as well as the editors Sammy Masara, Abel Ndumbu, Mike Roles and Herman Igambi.
Several of the reporters then and now, including Mercy Oburu, Christine Nguku and the producer Annette Bazira honed their skills at Daystar University
Daystar University
Daystar is a Christian liberal arts university in Nairobi, Kenya.Daystar's original campus is close to Nairobi city centre, but here is no room to expand at that location. Therefore, in the last decade a new campus has been built at Athi River, some 40 km to the south-east of the city, on the...
, a liberal arts university that produced influential alumni in the late 1980s and early 1990s and today who have had a disproportionately large impact on media and politics in Africa.
KTN staff in its early years included Joseph Warungu who went on to become the head of BBC's Africa Service. Another KTN alumnus is Dan Kashagama, the founder of the African Unification Front
African Unification Front
The African Unification Front is an organisation aiming to promote the political, social and economic union of Africa. Abbreviated AUF.-History:AUF was formed in August 1996. The current president of the AUF is Caroline Kamau...
, who originally covered the Somalia desk at KTN. Kathleen Openda, was for a long time during her stint at KTN the most popular broadcast personality in East and Central Africa. Ms. Openda also launched several high-impact programs: The Breakfast Show Third Opinion and Enterprise Kenya. The first two were live, interactive shows that invited Kenyans to tackle issues of governance and civil society, and to express themselves freely on a wide range of topics while the latter highlighted entrepreneurs in the country and is still on air to date.
KTN's personalities also doubled as celebrities in Africa. Jaqueline Thom was a Miss World contestant and Miss Kenya prior to joining KTN as a political reporter and news anchor. Jeff Koinange is now a lead reporter for K-24 and a former CNN reporter. Ahmed Abdullahi Igge, a Freelance Journalist currently based in the USA is also one of the most popular TV News reporters to have started a career at KTN (1998 to 2002). Ahmed was among the first to help launch KTN Leo, the Swahili news at 7:00pm (Ahmed was the first KTN staff to have been approached by Swaleh Mdoe, then of Nation TV. Swaleh Mdoe went on to play a vital role in the launching of KTN Leo). Ahmed was also given the opportunity to start the International News Roundup by the then Head of News Isaiah Kabira, who now heads the Presidential Press Unit at State House Nairobi. Former news editor Oliver Litondo is also an international celebrity film actor. Litondo's filmography includes major parts in Hollywood blockbusters, including The Lion of Africa alongside Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
. In Sheena
Sheena (film)
Sheena is a 1984 Columbia Pictures film based on a comic-book character that first appeared in the late 1930s, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.A hybrid of action-adventure and soap opera-style drama, Sheena was shot on location in Kenya...
, the 1984 remake of the classic, Litondo plays Chief Haromba. He also features in the classic Italian movie Orzowei, Il Figlio Della Savana. Oliver Litondo also played alongside James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
, John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
, and Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
in Ivory Hunters. Litondo mentored many of the original group of reporters during the early 1990s. He studied medicine in the US, before taking media studies at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Another big name KTN personality and pioneer was presenter Jimmy Gathu who hosted music shows every weekday evening namely Rap'Em, Kass Kass, Rastrut, Jam-a-Delic and Rythmix. He also hosted the kids' show Club Kiboko on Saturday mornings. He then went on to work in radio. His music show was then taken over by Esther Mbondo and Club Kiboko was hosted by former Miss India Kenya and radio personality, Pinky Ghelani.Jimmy Gathu was also one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop music in Kenya.
End of an Era
In October 1993 security officers boarded a loaded commercial airliner, seized the passport of KTN Director Jared Kangwana, and prevented him from departing on a business trip. Kangwana said that the act was part of a government intimidation campaign to force him to relinquish control of KTN to the then ruling party, KANU. The government took no action to institute criminal proceedings against Kangwana but ultimately succeeded in forcing him to cede the company to KANU. The station is now part of The Standard Group, which also publishes The StandardThe Standard (Kenya)
The Standard is one of the leading newspapers in Kenya with a 20% market share. It is the oldest newspaper in the country owned by The Standard Group, which also runs the Kenya Television Network . The Standard Group is headquartered at the I&M Bank Tower in Nairobi.- History :The newspaper was...
newspaper.
In spite of the political constraints, KTN has remained the avant-garde station in Africa, pioneering and initiating trends in African journalism. Although no longer as political as in the early 1990s, especially because the original frontline reporters of KTN have moved on, or have mellowed, the next generation of reporters includes exceptionally talented journalists such as Boni Odinga who does social commentaries, Robert Soi who covers sports, Wangeci Murage, a renowned drama producer and director, reporters and news anchors Beatrice Marshall, and Managing Editor, Quality and Product Development and former SABC correspondent and two time CNN African Journalist of the Year Award winner Linus Kaikai. Several dozens of KTN's reporters have won international awards for journalism. Former Business news editor Patrick Maigua was the 1999 electronic business journalist of the year and went on to win the world acclaimed CNN Africa Journalist of the Year business category in 2003.KTN pioneer cameramen were, Pius Kilaiti, John Mutahi, Aggrey Mutali who helped to shape a new dimension in TV news coverage.
The Legacy
In 2006 Kathleen Openda-Mvati unveiled Enterprise Kenya a new show that is geared more to the entrepreneur as opposed to the long-running and popular KTN Business Weekly that concentrates on what the big companies are doing and an analysis of all things business. Herman Igambi went on to become Editor-in-Chief of Citizen Radio and TV Network in Kenya. Gideon Muoka, one of the original KTN producers became head of the newly established Sanyu in Uganda. CNN anchor and presenter Zain Verjee also started her television broadcast career as an anchor on the KTN evening news and hosting the talk show Third Opinion.KTN alum Charles Wachira went on to become editor of Society Magazine in Kenya, and worked for the Inter Press Service, for NewsAfrica and Africa Today while based in Harare, and also for the Third World Network and the British based PANOS.
KTN remains noteworthy given Africa's media history. Ironically, KTN's reputation helped to set Kenya apart for its apparent ability to maintain one of the few, by international standards, vibrant media outlets while undergoing severe political upheaval, violent repression and cultural transition.
Despite increased competition from new entrants, the station's news brand has continuously stood out. The station relaunched in December 2008, changing its logo and introducing a robotic telehead. The slogan also changed to Always KTN from Your Channel, Your Choice
In 2007, KTN augmented its efforts to target the youth market launching Str8up hosted by a vibrant team of Christine
Christine
Christine is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1983. It tells the story of a vintage automobile apparently possessed by supernatural forces...
, Lina
Lina
Lina is a common female given name in Sweden, especially among those born after 1980. It was initially used as a shortened form of names such as Karolina, Nikolina, Adelina and Evelina but eventually became a name in its own right. Since "-lina" is a diminutive suffix, it has no meaning of its own...
, Andrew
Andrew
Andrew is the English form of a given name and surname common in many countries. Alternatives include André, Andrey, Andrei, Andrej, András, Andrés, Andreas, Andreu, Anders and Endrew. ‘Andrew’ is a common name in English-speaking countries. In the 1990s it was among the top ten most popular names...
, Anjlee, Grace
Grace
-Film:* Grace , a 2009 horror film* States of Grace, a 2005 drama film- Games :* The Game of graces, a 19th century game for young girls* Tales of Graces, a 2009 Tales of game by Namco Tales Studio- Literature :...
, Myra
Myra
Myra is an ancient town in Lycia, where the small town of Kale is situated today in present day Antalya Province of Turkey. It was located on the river Myros , in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.- Historical evidence :Although some scholars...
, Jonathan
Jonathan
Jonathan is a common masculine given name meaning "YHWH has given" in Hebrew...
and Yolanda
Yolanda
Yolanda is a given name, of Greek origin but existing in many languages, meaning Violet. The form of the name in Greek is Iolanthe. In Czech and Slovak the name is spelled Jolantha...
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The show has recently pulled another first in the market with KTN Financial Markets Live, a weekdays afternoon business bulletin complete with interviews and analyses. The station became the first local channel to run live trading data from the Nairobi Stock Exchange in late May 2009.
Summary
KTN is known and praised by the public for its unique way of reporting and exposing issues and scandals. KTN has one of the most talented reporters and anchors in the country. The news anchors include Njoroge Mwaura who has been with the station since its inception, Beatrice Marshall, the 2008 CHATChaguo La Teeniez Awards
The Insyder Magazine' Chaguo La Teeniez Awards is a project that seeks to recognise and award Kenyans youth who have made meaningful contribution to our society by excelling in the disciplines of academics, arts and sports...
awards winner Esther Arunga, Lillian Muli, Michael Oyier, the 2008 CHAT
Chaguo La Teeniez Awards
The Insyder Magazine' Chaguo La Teeniez Awards is a project that seeks to recognise and award Kenyans youth who have made meaningful contribution to our society by excelling in the disciplines of academics, arts and sports...
awards winner John Allan Namu, Janet Mbugua, Boni Odinga, Evelyne Wamboi,Esther Kahumbi, Ahmed Dharwesh,Ali Manzu, Lulu Hassan, Ann Ngugi, Saddique Shabaan, Larry Madowo, Noah Otieno, Newton Ndebu, Muraya Kariuki, Samuel Kantai, Mwendwa Kiogora, Anne Soy, Mohamed Ali of the ground-breaking investigative series 'Jicho Pevu' fame, Isabella Kituri, Purity Mwambia Robert Soi and Anjlee Gadvi. KTN has always been known as a station that nurtures talent and delivers accurate and informative news and features.
KTN also aires the best and latest TV series including 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
, Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, The Unit
The Unit
The Unit is an American action-drama television series that focuses on a top-secret military unit modeled after the real-life U.S. Army special operations unit commonly known as Delta Force...
, Standoff
Standoff (TV series)
Standoff is an American drama series that premiered on the Fox network on September 5, 2006. Created by Craig Silverstein, the series focused on an FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit whose members negotiated hostage situations and shared relationships. The show was produced by 20th Century Fox Television...
, and The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
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Although with the new Kenyan constitution taking effect KTN is embarking on enhancing local programming through producing and airing shows such as Mheshimiwa, Changing times , Be the judge
External links
- http://www.ktnkenya.tv/index.php
- http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/K/htmlK/kenya/kenya.htm