It seems that the recent proposed merger between K24 and KTN has already had some disastrous repercussions for some of the K24 employees.
This news was first revealed on Twitter where some Kenyans who disclosed that about 60 K24 reporters had reportedly being fired.
K24 has majorly cut on its human resource, firing journalists and news presenters citing financial difficulties with ongoing court cases of presenters protesting a move to cut on their salaries.
K24 television which is a major part of the Media Max company is now being handed a lifeline by Kenya’s KTN news that would see it be able to easily operate without a bulky human resource which will enable the company to cut on cost.
The lifeline being presented by KTN news is expected to be available to other media stations and partners and is expected to enable media houses to cut on the cost of content production.
The new business model by KTN will enable the provision of news content on-demand to other media stations who will choose to partner.
The move which will see K24 begin to air KTN news content will render content producers such as journalists and editors redundant and jobless.
K24 currently operates only with a handful of content providers after recurring job cuts which has already seen it suffer bad blood from the ex-employees in the manner it goes around firing.
The talks to have K24 air news content from KTN are believed to be at an advanced stage with KTN proposing to offer the news content in a 3-tier package.
The first package by KTN is proposed to cost a monthly 3.2 million shillings with the company that goes for the package having an advantage of accessing KTN News’ live coverage.
To air KTN News’ coverage for prime-time bulletins, a media house will need to pay 1.8 million shillings every month and will only have rights to the news bulletins and not any other whatsoever.
KTN News’ is using the ‘high-quality news’ line to sell its business models arguing that the media companies that will choose to partner will have the advantage of largely cutting down on labor and equipment costs.
K24 staff has expressed their disappointment on the move terming it selfish and inconsiderate to the employees of K24 as it means the majority will be declared redundant in a month’s time.
Eric Njoka, an anchor at the K24 station took to social media and accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of having been behind the recurring crisis in the media house.
“They are getting rid of every person that you know, every face that you know on K24, every producer, anchor, reporter, news editor that you know,” an irritated Eric Njoka said.
Eric Njoka opened up that the crisis at MediaMax began when the acting CEO Ken Ngaruiya gave the employees a notice that they would be taking a 50 percent pay cut following COVID-19 and the staff went to court to protest the move.
“We are working for a President who does not care. It seems we are children of a lesser God because no one is listening to us,” Njoka continued.
