This archive report was first published on 30 August 2021.
Launched in Kenya, TV47 is a fast-growing television station that has made a significant impact in the country's media landscape. The station's focus on education and news gathering has enabled it to carve a niche for itself by telling the 'untold stories' in Kenya's 47 counties.
TV47's journey began with a TV-for-Education model that was initially piloted in Rwanda. However, due to the realities of the television media landscape in Rwanda, where 80% of preferred broadcast is radio (RURA, 2015), the station opted to migrate its model to Kenya. The new station was named TV47, a name that signifies its focus and footprint across the 47 devolved units that make up County Government in Kenya.
TV47 is fully licensed by the Communication Authority of Kenya and has its main studios and corporate offices at Ojijo Close in Parklands, Nairobi. The station's nerve centre, where the main production and broadcast activities are coordinated from, is equipped with state-of-the-art studios in Nairobi and Mombasa in the coast region of Kenya.
TV47's Mombasa studio, commissioned in October 2020, is kitted with modern equipment and manpower that enables it to autonomously broadcast news and live events. The studio is located at MKU Plaza, Nkrumah Road, at the heart of Mombasa city.
TV47's avant-garde equipment also includes Portable Live-U gear for broadcasting live, and a fully-kitted outside broadcasting van. The station has a fully-customized truck for shining its brand, which features a diverse menu of programming that predominantly targets people aged between 18 and 45 years.
This programming includes: News & Current Affairs, University & College Lectures, Political Talkshows, Documentaries, Soap Operas, Music Shows, Business, Sports as well as Live Reporting and Contract Broadcasting, among others. TV47 is available on DStv Bamba, Signet and Star Times.
