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HomeinstitutionsLook Up TV: Station Closed After 6 Years, Hundreds Lose Jobs

Look Up TV: Station Closed After 6 Years, Hundreds Lose Jobs

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Look Up TV
The station owners blame high taxation and changing media dynamics for the decision. Photo: Look Up TV.

Look Up TV has announced its shutting down its newsroom after 6 years of operation.

The station said this would affect its Swahili and English news broadcasts.

This will see over 100  employees lose their jobs, including correspondents, reporters, anchors and sales team.

The station owners blame high taxation and changing media dynamics for the decision.

The closure of the station is effective from Friday, June 7.

The company said it would still operate its digital platforms but those involved with it will operate from home.

The employees who are expected to lose their jobs were promised an appreciation token.

“After this month, we will officially conclude our operations. Appreciation tokens will be sent to all. We will stay in touch,” part of a memo read.

In August 2022, Look Up TV hired veteran news anchor Louis Otieno.

Otieno anchored prime-time news at Look Up TV from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm- different from the usual 9pm used in other media houses.

In the last few years the TV station has faced financial difficulties and had to make major budget cuts to remain afloat.

On a positive spin, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) State of the Media 2023 Survey Report released on Thursday, May 2 revealed that Citizen TV is still the most-watched television station in Kenya.

The station has a viewership of 35 per cent in 2023, the same as 2022.

NTV was second with 11 per cent of viewership, and KTN Home was third with 8 per cent.

KTN News was the fourth with 7 per cent and K24 fifth at 7 per cent.

National broadcaster KBC managed to get into sixth.