Broadcasters, content creators, and online streaming service platforms operating in Kenya will start classifying content under new regulations in a bid to keep up with increased production.
Commercial TVs and radios will review 70pc of the content they air for age appropriateness to show if it’s good for watching from a certain age, while the Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) will review the other 30pc.
The new rules will target pre-recorded shows like movies, advertisements, and telenovelas. Netflix, Showmax, and Amazon will also review 70pc of their movies and add KFCB’s age-appropriate symbols.
“Classification of one-day content can take one week and we are not able to keep up. So the involvement of the industry is to ensure compliance while coping with digital expansion,” said KFCB acting CEO Christopher Wambua.
Classification law in Kenya will apply as follows :
- A movie of 45 minutes to one hour: Sh4,500 ($38.97 ) and Sh6,000 ($51.96)
- Commercials: Sh1,000 ($8.66)
- Music items: Sh300 ($2.60) per item
Failure to comply with the classification laws will see broadcasters or online streaming platforms submit 100pc content to the KFCB and pay Sh100,000 ($866.55) as a fine in line with the Films and Stageplays Act, Chapter 222.
“With the existing staffing levels, the film and broadcast content regulator, KFCB, cannot cope with the legal requirement to examine and classify all audiovisual content meant for broadcast, distribution, and exhibition in the country,” the KFCB said.
The new rules will ease the process of classification for broadcasters and facilitate an enabling regulatory environment for the broadcast sector in light of high competition from online streaming services.
