Kenyatta University Television (KUTV) risks going off the air after the institution suspended programming production and engagement with all its show hosts and producers.
In a statement dated Tuesday, October 25, the institution explained that the downturn was heavily influenced by the pandemic and the resulting economic turmoil.
"All programs production and engagement of hosts is suspended effective October 26, 2022, due to the economic downturn that the university has faced since Covid-19.
"This fact has been realised over the yet-approved budget for running programs for this Quarter (October-December 2022)," read the statement in part.
The directive took effect from Wednesday, October 26, with all new shows and live coverage frozen.
"It is in this regard that I am requesting all producers to adhere to this directive with immediate effect.ie no new shows should be recorded or aired live and no host should be engaged until communicated otherwise," added the statement signed by Irene Simiyu.
A source who worked at the station before exiting in 2019 confirmed to Kenyans.co.ke that the broadcaster had been in economic turmoil for years.
He noted that since the pandemic hit, the station has experienced budget cuts and struggled to keep the lights.
It had also suffered a major license downgrade from a national commercial TV outlet to a regional basic station in the community category.
As a result, the university's management intends to fully convert it into a training lab for communications students from its school of journalism, as per the source.
"They are struggling and funding was cut. They want to convert it for training. The station is closing down. journalism students will have it as a training lab," stated the source.
Separately, a former student leader who has since left the institution confirmed that Kenyatta University was grappling with financial constraints.
"Generally the financial status of the university is not looking good," he stated.
Upon its launch in 2015, the station had a salaried workforce of more than 70 people but gradually reduced its newsroom count. In 2019, 33 people departed from the station en masse.
