It is without a doubt that Citizen TV is the most-watched TV station in the country, as it has been topping the rankings for years.
According to a GeoPoll Survey released in 2019, Citizen TV was portrayed as commanding the highest viewership in the country at 26%, followed by KTN which claimed 11% of the entire television viewership.
Its position means that many independent content producers jostle to get their shows adopted by the broadcaster and as such, a stringent selection process is used to sift through programs that will be allowed airtime.
TV sensation Lulu Hassan talking exclusively to Kenyans.co.ke revealed that the process it takes for a program to air on TV is not for the faint-hearted.
Currently making waves with the blockbuster show Maria, which was a brainchild created by her and her equally talented husband Rashid Abdalla, she too had to go through this stringent process.
She disclosed that there were two ways in which a program could make it to the television station, one way being when the broadcaster commissions a program and the second being through speculative pitches by producers to the station.
She, however, stated that in both cases, the piloted programs (after being aired for the first time) undergo intense scrutiny and deliberation to ensure they are of the right quality before they are even considered.
"You first send a proposal of a program as a producer. After submission of the program, the producers deliberate on the worthiness of the project before making a decision on it," she stated.
This is the stage at which the program that makes the cut carries through to the next stage and that which does not is thrown out.
TV production companies are reported to be busy most of the time, which means even if a program is accepted, it can take a varied amount of time before it can make it to the airwaves.
With many programs getting cancelled after their first airing and high rejection rates that are rumoured to be an every day affair, Hassan, narrated the quality that a good script should possess in order to have a chance to make the cut.
"The pilot submitted has to be of very good quality and to have a very good storyline. If the plot is weak and there are too many mistakes, the idea will not see the light of day," she narrated.
If the piloted program is accepted, the producer of the program and the TV station sign a binding agreement before it finally goes on air.
Hassan also revealed that there is no unanimous contract awarded, but that it varies with the program and the agreement between the producer and the company.
Lulu Hassan's 2016 production Moyo Series that also aired on Citizen TV was a smashing success rivaling KTN TV's Househelps of Kawangware that aired on the same time slot on Wednesdays.
