This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
TV47's owner, Prof Simon Gicharu, is reportedly unhappy with the station's progress since its launch in July 2019. In a bid to bridge the viewership gap with mainstream channels, he has brought in experienced heads, including CNN fellow John Mwaura, former KTN assignments editor Sam Gakunyi, and super-producer Diana Tarik.
According to sources, the new management team has different ideas to lift the channel, prompting the exit of former CEO Eugene Anangwe, who claimed to have resigned due to personal reasons on June 20, 2020.
However, sources indicate that Anangwe was actually pushed out to accommodate the new ideas. Leah Ngari, a former Switch TV presenter, is among the recently recruited talent that has been let go, with the real reason for her axing still unclear.
As reported by Business Today in April, the new management team has taken up key roles, with John Mwaura as Editorial Director, Sam Gakunyi in charge of Marketing, Revenue Generation, and Branded Content, and Diana as Production and Programmes manager.
"Most of the talent that built TV47 from scratch has been sent home. The management said that they are inexperienced. The new guys have gone about changing everything around the place without appearing to show any interest to accommodate the old talent," said a source.
Media observers maintain that TV47 has its work cut out if it is to realize its dream. Improvement is needed in all departments, ranging from technical, design, marketing, editorial, and management.
While the station has tried to come up with good products, its viewership numbers are still very low, and major changes are required to challenge the big guns in the industry.
