Editors want slice of House coverage

Editors have called for an end to a monopoly of live broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings.

The Editors Guild on Thursday said the monopoly enjoyed by state broadcaster KBC to provide live feeds to other media houses compromised quality.

Chairperson Macharia Gaitho and vice chair David Ohito told the House Broadcasting Committee that the arrangement also did not adhere to the rules of fair play.

“The quality of broadcasts must be addressed jointly with other media houses,” Mr Ohito said. “This can be done by ending the monopoly,” he said.

The editors said KBC should drop its logo from the live feeds while the House team resolves the issue. Mr Gaitho said the broadcasts had improved coverage of Parliament, but more could be done.

He urged the Parliamentary Service Commission to utilise the internet to make information easily available to journalists and researchers.

Government Joint Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo, who is a member of the committee, backed the editors. “We have said KBC should compete with independent media houses,” he said.

Sideshows

Parliament’s information and research director Clement Nyandiere agreed that quality was poor. “We are concerned about the quality but must admit that the chambers were not designed for live coverage,” he said.

MPs accused the media of bias when covering parliamentary proceedings, with acting Government Joint Chief Whip Johnstone Muthama saying some journalists were compromised.

He also accused the media of focusing on sideshows at the expense of the real issues that the MPs tackle daily.