Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is the state-run media organisation of Kenya. It broadcasts in 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. It was the first station in Kenya. In 1964, when Kenya became an independent country, the corporation's name was changed to Voice of Kenya. In 1989, the Kenyan parliament reverted the corporation's name from Voice of Kenya to Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

During the rule of president Daniel arap Moi, KBC became the mouthpiece of the government. Each broadcast opened with a piece on what the president had been doing that day. Under the then president, Mwai Kibaki, KBC took a more objective approach. The corporation helped most of Kenya's notable journalists especially before the liberalization of the airwaves in Kenya. The pioneer broadcasters post independence were Maurice Mwendah (TV), Simeon Ndesanjo (Radio), Dalail Mzee (Radio), Aziz Yakub, (Radio & TV), and Aish Jenneby (TV).

English service broadcasters who pioneered the service were Peter Clare, David Kelly, Hassan Mazoa, Sammy Lui, Norbert Okare, and Martin Billy Mutta, followed later by Peter Njoroge Mwaura, Elizabeth Omolo, Esther Kanyago, Yakub Ishaq, Amos Njogu amongst many.

In the 80s and 90s names such as Khamisi Themor, Leornard Mambo Mbotela, Omuga Kabisae, Ngulamu Mwaviro, and Enacled Araba, were also heard. The English service had its share of KIMC graduates, Serah Kihara, Gladys Erude. John Karani Wanjiru Kago Johnstone Omurunga, also opportunities were accorded to other KBC Technical employees such as Ike Mulembo,William Kiamba,Larry Wambua and others on the English Service.

After many decades of dominance in the Kenyan market, KBC has been overtaken in programming content and ratings, especially with the advent of private TV stations and digital satellite television in the early 2000s. These new platforms brought more content options by airing classic TV shows(sitcoms, action thriller series, weekend movie nights), more children's entertainment(more allocation time and wide variety), and more refined local content.

KBC aired the popular Vitimbi comedy and drama show for more than 30 years before the show was taken off air on the national broadcaster in 2015.

History of KBC

* 1924: English radio broadcasting began. The broadcasts targeted white settlers who monitored news from their home and other parts of the world.
* The first radio broadcasts targeting Africans came during the Second World War to inform parents and relatives of African soldiers what was happening at the war front.
* 1953: The first broadcast service was created for Africans. African Broadcasting Services carried programmes in Kiswahili, Dholuo, Kikuyu, Kinandi, Kiluhya, Kikib and Arabic.
* 1954: Kenya Broadcasting Services was established. Regional stations were set up in Mombasa (Sauti ya Mvita), Nyeri (Mount Kenya Station) and Kisumu (Lake Station).
* 1961: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation was formed to take over broadcasting services from the government controlled Kenya Broadcasting Services.
* 1962: Television was introduced in Kenya. The first transmitting station was set on a farm house in Limuru and the station transmitted to a radius of .
* 1 July 1964: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation was nationalised into Voice of Kenya through an Act of Parliament.
* 1978: Kenya television transitioned to colour.
* 1980: a new television station opened in Mombasa to relay programmes and produce local dramas, music, cultural and other programmes
* 1989: the Voice of Kenya changed back to Kenya Broadcasting Corporation through an Act of Parliament.
* 1989: a contract was signed between KBC and Japan Telecommunications Engineering consultancy service (JETC) for improvement and expansion of the national medium wave frequency radio broadcasting network.
* 1991: KBC signed a contract with Marubeni Corporation of Tokyo, Japan for upgrading of medium wave transmitting stations and construction of new ones.
* 1993: KBC embarked on a major modernisation project to upgrade its transmitting station, construct new ones and improve on switching and rooting network.
* 1996: KBC commissioned Metro FM as a 90% music radio.
* September 2000: KBC commissioned Metro Television as a sports and entertainment channel.
* December 2000: KBC started Coro FM, transmitting in Kikuyu language to Nairobi and Mount Kenya Region.
* 2001: Pwani FM was started to cater to the Coast Region.
* 2009: Signet subsidiary is first launched.
*2021: KBC TV rebranded. A line-up of changes were unveiled, including a new logo. The station brought on board fresh faces and returned former news presenters including Catherine Kasavuli, Fayyaz Qureishi, Badi Muhsin, and Pauline Sheghu.

Radio stations

Programs

Current

Imported shows

Animated shows

* ''Arthur''

Soap Opera

* ''Corazon miente''

Former

Domestic shows

Gospel

* ''Joy Bringers''
* ''Sing and Shrine''

Soap Opera

* ''Tausi''

Children's

* ''Children's Variety Show''

Comedy

* ''Classmates''
*Kinyonga
*Vioja Mahakamani

Magic

* ''Kiini Macho''

Imported shows

Animated shows

* ''The Adventures of Blinky Bill''
* ''The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''Aladdin''
* ''Animaniacs''
* ''Avenger Penguins''
* ''The Bear, the Tiger and the Others''
* '' Beast Wars: Transformers''
* '' Bonkers''
* ''The California Raisin Show''
* ''Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels''
* ''Captain Planet and the Planeteers''
* ''The Care Bears''
* '' The Centurions''
* ''Challenge of the GoBots''
* '' Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''
* ''Count Duckula''
* '' Danger Mouse''
* ''Darkwing Duck''
* ''Denver, the Last Dinosaur''
* ''Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears''
* ''Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds''
* '' Doris''
* ''Double Dragon''
* ''The Dreamstone''
* ''DuckTales''
* ''The Flintstones''
* '' The Flying House''
* ''Freakazoid!''
* ''Gadget Boy & Heather''
* ''Galactik Football''
* '' Gargoyles''
* '' Hammerman''
* ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''
* ''Hurricanes''
* ''Huxley Pig''
* ''Inspector Gadget''
* ''Jonny Quest''
* ''Karate Kommandos''
* ''Krazy Kat''
* ''The Little Mermaid''
* ''Lucky Luke''
* ''Madeline''
* ''The Magic School Bus''
* ''The Magical Adventures of Quasimodo''
* '' The Magical World of Gigi''
* ''Mega Man''
* ''The Mighty Hercules''
* ''New Kids on the Block''
* ''Nilus the Sandman''
* ''Pingu''
* '' Popeye the Sailor Man''
* ''Princess Knight''
* '' ProStars''
* '' The Raggy Dolls''
* '' Rambo: The Force of Freedom''
* ''The Road Runner Show''
* ''Roger Ramjet''
* '' Rupert''
* ''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs''
* ''Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat''
* ''Samurai Pizza Cats''
* ''Sandokan''
* ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!''
* '' She-Ra: Princess of Power''
* ''SilverHawks''
* ''Sky Dancers''
* ''The Smurfs''
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog''
* ''Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea''
* ''Spider-Man''
* ''Spider-Woman''
* ''Spiff and Hercules''
* ''Sport Billy''
* '' Star Street: The Adventures of the Star Kids''
* ''Street Fighter''
* ''Street Sharks''
* '' Superbook''
* '' SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron''
* ''TaleSpin''
* ''Taz-Mania''
* '' Team Galaxy''
* ''Teen Wolf''
* '' ThunderCats''
* ''Tic Tac Toons''
* ''Tom and Jerry''
* ''Transformers''
* '' Victor & Hugo: Bunglers in Crime''
* ''Voltron''
* ''Wacky Races''
* '' The Wizard of Oz''
* ''Woody Woodpecker''
* ''The Woody Woodpecker Show''

Children's Programmes

* ''The Adventures of Shirley Holmes''
* ''Akili and Me''
* ''Atlantis High''
* ''Bernard's Watch''
* ''The Borrowers''
* ''BJ's Teddy Bear Club and Bible Stories''
* '' Brum''
* ''Butterfly Island''
* ''Button Moon''
* ''The Dooley and Pals Show''
* '' The KangaZoo Club''
* '' Mowgli: The New Adventures of the Jungle Book''
* ''The Longhouse Tales''
* ''Ocean Girl''
* ''Perspective''
* ''Power Rangers''
* ''Ragdolly Anna''
* ''Raggs''
* ''Sesame Street''
* '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo''
* ''Space Academy''
* '' Spellbinder''
* ''Super Gran''
* ''Thomas and Friends''
* ''Ubongo Kids''

Comedy

* '' ALF''
* ''Butterflies''
* ''Desmond's''
* ''The Dick Van Dyke Show''
* ''Dinosaurs''
* ''Everybody Loves Raymond''
* ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''
* ''Full House''
* ''Good Times''
* ''The Jeffersons''
* ''The Lenny Henry Show''
* ''Mind Your Language''
* ''Monty''
* '' The New Leave It to Beaver''
* '' One on One''
* ''Parker Lewis Can't Lose''
* ''The Parkers''
* '' Perfect Strangers''

Drama

* '' 18 Wheels of Justice''
* ''21 Jump Street''
* ''The Adventures of Sinbad''
* '' Conan the Adventurer''
* '' The Crow: Stairway to Heaven''
* ''Danger Bay''
* ''Derrick''
* ''Doctor Who''
* ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman''
* ''Five Mile Creek''
* ''The Flash''
* '' Flipper''
* '' The Fugitive''
* '' Hardcastle & McCormick''
* ''Hill Street Blues''
* ''Inspector Rex''
* ''Kojak''
* ''Midsomer Murders''
* ''Moonlighting''
* ''Night Man''
* '' North of 60''
* ''One West Waikiki''
* '' Oz''
* '' Relic Hunter''
* ''Remington Steele''
* '' RoboCop: The Series''
* ''Star Trek: The Original Series''
* '' Street Hawk''
* ''Tarzán''
* ''The Saint''
* '' The Legend of William Tell''
* ''Tropical Heat''
* '' V''
* ''Walker, Texas Ranger''
* ''Wonder Woman''
* ''Zorro''

News

* ''The 700 Club''

Telenovelas

* '' Escrava Isaura''

Soap Opera

* ''A Country Practice''
* ''Dallas''
* ''Falcon Crest''
* ''Knots Landing''
* '' Santa Barbara''
* '' Step by Step''

Reality

* ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''

Anthology

* ''Murder Most Horrid''

References

External links

Kenya Broadcasting home page

{{authority control

Companies of Kenya
Mass media in Kenya
Television stations in Kenya
Radio stations in Kenya
Government-owned companies of Kenya
Multilingual broadcasters
British Kenya
Radio stations established in 1953
1953 establishments in Kenya
Television channels and stations established in 1962