Nairobi, KENYA: Media council has urged media houses and Kenya Research Foundation, KARF, to find a truce in order to avert a possible standoff over advertising.
This comes after a section of media houses wrote to KARF over what they termed as poor unreliable advertising data conducted by the foundation which led to the cancellation of their KARF subscriptions in 36 months.
Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo urged the parties to solve their differences amicably to avert scenario of degrading advertising industry.
He further warned that if the current developments continue, they will have serious ramifications for the media sector in Kenya as the absence of a reliable and dependable audience and readership measurement system will have a negative impact on the advertising income and subsequent sustainability of media enterprises.
He urged the research agencies to engage proactively and up their game to ensure that the data generated is reliable and trustworthy.
He pointed that the deliberations of formulating an advertising code of ethics and framework for a proposed media diversity fund, whose objective will be to fund credible media research, is on.
“We recognize that the media industry in Kenya and the world over has experienced exponential growth in the past few years making it a challenge for research agencies and regulators to catch up,” Omwoyo said