PS Ndemo, Just a quick question, does KBC have a HR department? Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 ----- Original Message ----- From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 6 March 2012, 13:14 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike Washington, I simply gave you the high level problems that needs to be sorted out strategically. KBC has been the training ground for the industry and to some extent literarly undermined by competition. It is weighed down by legacy issues be it in technology or labour force. We are dealing with the structure and technology first. The labour issue is complex. We have in the past tried to move as many redudant staff as we can but the retrenchment cost is as high as what you will need to change the organization. GoK also must pay for public broadcast since in some stations will never make money as they are part of the universal access to broadcasting (CCK USF may be helpful). Alot has been done and we need to do more. The current strike brought out some issues where the artistes have been doing the job that should be done by someone. Obviously not a great way to spend public resources. But to untangle this we need the cooperation of the staff. We have sent a team to do a work load and job analysis as well as skills inventory. We must be scientific in the reform agenda otherwise we ran the risk of victimizing good workers. We are not taking any actions on any issue at the moment antil we have finished all the audits we have started. We must avoid knee jerk reactions at all costs. There are mechanisms for disposing obsolete equipment. If we have space, it will be a great way to have broadcasting museum. It will help future engineers to understand where we have come from and possibly inspire new innovations. Regards Ndemo.
Hello Dr. Ndemo,
I appreciate your response, but I'd like to know from you what it is that is ailing KBC - and kindly be open with facts as they are. So far, you've only said that KBC is grossly in debt, and you've only attributed this to dumping of technology which was being phased out - specifically Medium Wave equipment. Your answer is not convincing, unless you are saying the 20b comprises debt incurred in the dumping process and running of the MW equipment. Are there other factors that are associated with the debt and what is the govt doing to address those? A string of govt/KBC staff are responsible for this dumping, and we are talking about public funds here. Obviously, these people who did the dumping (when new FM stations were being licensed and operating everywhere) knew so well what they were doing. It's not really hard to prove connivance on their part. Did KBC import equipment without supervision/knowledge of CCK or whatever name the regulator was at that time? What action is being taken against those people? We do have an authority to deal with cases of corruption. Are they dealing already? How and when is the debt going to be serviced?
Anyway, the main issue in the current debate is about those grievances that led the staff to take to the streets. You are in the right position to tell us what these were specifically and which ones were genuine (or not). It's important that we also get insid information on what the actual truth is. What I've heard is "poor pay", "nepotism", "sexual harrassment". The issue about poor pay is rather obvious within the govt and some parastatals. How true are the later two? What action is being taken to address them?
And finally, you've mentioned that the govt's strategy is to replace the MW stations with FM stations. Good enough, because one of the issues you are addressing is the high cost of running the MW equipment. What strategy has the govt put in place to ensure that these FM stations will be able to be competitive and profitable in the current market regime - even to an extent of being self-sustaining? We (the taxpayers) are not always happy to carry the barden:-)
Two last questions:
1. How is the govt going to dispose of the MW equipment? I believe they are electronic waste. 2. Is the govt going to process the 1000+ applications you received so that it can replace the politically-correct employess with the right talent required to achieve the objective of turning KBC around? Please don't tell me that the same tainted team of managers (as alleged) is going to be same one tasked with turning it around. I am sure you know how diffiuclt it has been to change the work culture at Orange. Sometimes (more often actually) it requires the injection of new blood to turn things around. I am hoping that some of those 1000+ applicants are going to be given jobs at KBC to achieve this.
Once again, thank you for your time addressing this.
On Tue, Mar 6, 2012 at 08:57, <bitange@jambo.co.ke> wrote:
Washington, KBC would emerge strong from this crisis. We found KBC with a debt of Ksh. 20 billion. It used be the conduit for corruption through dumping of technology especially the Medium Wave (MW) just as FM was emerging. It cost ten times more running a medium wave station than it is with FM. We are changing this. So far we have six new FM stations replacing the old technology.
We have spilit the organization into theree, that is, infrastructure under Signet, Public Broadcast and Commercial Broabcast. The later two will basically content providers and would worry less on infrastructure that will be supplied by Signet.
The strike was unnecessary since we had commited to implementing their demands. I had personally issued a circular to that effect. Even the Union they had joined advised them that the strike was illegal but unfortunately they defied this. Even more unfortunate they denounced the Union out of anger.
We shall continue with the reforms and improve their welfare. It is not in our interest to see those we work with in the streets. I was shocked to realize that we have thousands of Kenyans seeking for employment. I think some of you may have watched TV the heaps of applications. By yesterday we had in excess of 10,000. I was not misquoted because on Sunday I was at the station and there were more than 1,000 applications. We must do something for our brothers and sisters. Either we start teaching them on areas of wealth creation or find ways of creating massive employment. We are trying in our sector but we have not done enough.
Ndemo.
On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 21:06, Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi@gmail.com> wrote:
I feel we should sort out our National Broadcaster. It's a pity that other private media stations have taken over KBCs position as we stood by and watched. At the moment, KBC still has good will and can recover.
It also does not make sense for we to push for cutting edge initiatives such as Konza, TEAMS if we are going to let the state at KBC remain as it is. I am sure they can play a major role in local content creation.
Having colleagues in the journalistic filed at KBC, I have heard rumours of situation where the national broadcaster's crew were first at ground breaking events (read disasters) in the country. However, such news is broken by private radio stations where the footage is sold even before it ever gets to KBCs studios. I have even heard more rumours of the broadcasters equipment being used to shoot footage that ends up with private broadcasters.
I am sure the leaked payslips of staff at Standard Media Group < http://thejackalnews.com/media-news/news-media/1688-horror-of-massive-salary... led to most of the staff questioning what it is they did wrong for their colleagues at media school to end up on the better side of luck .
An amicable solution is required. We are all sure that the national broadcaster can make enough revenue to sustain a highly skilled workforce, given the right leadership.
I believe Dr. Ndemo, having seeing his deeds in the ICT sector, can also be the champion credited with overhauling KBC.
@Dennis,
For me, it's a simple question so far:
What is it that KBC doesn't have (and cannot afford) that the private broadcasters do have?
If someone can answer this for me, I'd be very happy because it's "looking at issues from BASIC PRINCIPLES". Maybe it's as hard as having to disband KBC, if that situation cannot be addressed. However, KBC being a National Broadcaster means it's funded by public taxes and that is a very very deep pocket! I am not ready to accept any explanation to the effect that the govt cannot put in place the necessary measures to make KBC a profitable business-case. Rumors have it that Management at KBC are well-connected individuals, not necessarily qualified, and that is typical for the govt, which is not a business and so is not expected to make profits, but KBC must make profits like other Media houses. I don't understand what it is that Citizen does right with its myriad Radio Stations that KBC cannot do, having been the only broadcaster before these FM Stations were born. Oh, most of KBC veterans can be heard at the private Radio Stations, especially Royal Media. Someone must be able to explain why they had to leave KBC for these other places. The reasons are obvious.
Perhaps the govt should just bite the bullet and shut down KBC if they cannot improve it and attract talent and stop acting stupid!
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