Is this the transfer season for news anchors? The number of journalists ditching their former employers for more lucrative deals in rival TV stations has been on a crescendo. NTV has been the most affected and the reason for the departures, apart from attractive pay packages, was blamed on an autocratic management that took instructions from State House-atleast if reports on the blogosphere are anything to go by. One of the stations that has been on a recruiting spree of top talents is Citizen TV as it secures its position as the most popular TV station in Kenya. KTN-like NTV- is facing a similar hemorrhage after the unexpected exit of Yvonne Okwara, Mashirima Kapombe and Joe Ageyo to Citizen TV. The latest high profile news anchor to exist from the Standard Group owned TV station is Betty Kyalo.
Betty Kyalo
The seasoned Friday briefing news anchor has been a delight to watch over the years and it comes as a surprise that she will be joining the lowly Media Max LTD TV station. Given her pedigree, Betty Kyalo would have been just a perfect fit for either NTV or Citizen TV but she was enticed by a fat cheque at the TV station now associated with Deputy President William Ruto.
Salary at KTN
Multiple blogs have put Betty Kyalo’s salary at Kes650,000. This is more than what most Kenyans make annually. Our source, however, disputed this figure saying her salary at KTN is not above sh350,000. In a bid to retain her, Standard Group gave her an irresistible counter offer to shelve her plans of ditching the station.
Salary offered at K24
K24 ratings continue to plummet and the only way to resuscitate the station from its deathbed was to bring in a big name. The station is doing so poorly that Inooro TV, a vernacular TV station whose viewership is more segmented, has more viewers. Media Max has offered Betty Kyalo upwards of kes300,000 to have her in the station. Journalists in the station are paid between kes55,000 and the highest just above kes200,000.