Just when everyone thought the going would be smooth at Royal Media Services after poaching top presenters from KTN and NTV, all is apparently not well at the locally-owned media house.
The media company which owns Citizen Television, Radio Citizen, The Leader Newspaper and eight other vernacular radio stations has been rocked with scandals, sources have divulged.
The embarrassing scenario has now seen the proprietor of the company S.K. Macharia and his wife Mrs Gathoni Macharia who are Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively contemplating sacking Waruru Wachira who was hired from Kenya Film Corporation.
According to inside sources at Royal Media headquarters based in Hurlingham, Wachira whose monthly salary is said to be more than Shs 500,000 plus numerous allowances has been reduced to signing vouchers since the Chairman and Vice chairman have lost faith in him as far as decision making is concerned.
Trouble started for Wachira when he re-instated Ms Cess Mutungi who had been suspended from Hot 96 allegedly because of drink problems and missing her breakfast morning shows. She had also earlier been kicked out of Chris Kirubi’s owned Capital FM because of similar reasons.
On being brought on board as Managing Director of Royal Media Services, the first thing Wachira did was to poach from KBC Ms Yasmin Martin a lady with whom their alleged relationship dates back to when he was the Managing Director at KBC. His attempts to bring on board Ms Tichi Nyasani another alleged mistress hit a snag when it leaked that he was having a hidden agenda.
Wachira has brought The Leader weekly to its knees by frustrating efforts by the founding Managing Editor Kiruri Kamau who has since resigned in a huff.
Md Judy Muhoro who was the force behind getting advertisements for The Leader weekly has also resigned to join KISS FM’s Nairobi Star that hit the streets this week due to Wachira’s interference.
Even after Royal Media Services commissioned research firm Infotrak whom they paid Shs 500,000, Wachira frustrated efforts by Kiruri to implement some of the issues contained in the crucial report a situation that has seen the paper’s weekly circulation cut from 6,000 to 2,000.
According to inside sources at The Leader Weekly, Njoka has now embarked on replacing those perceived to have been close to Kiruri, a situation which ahs affected the quality of stories carried in the paper which at one pointy was becoming a force to reckon with.
No wonder the guy was chucked from KBC.Is it true Jasmin does not have any media education?That would be a pity with so many graduates looking for jobs.Shame on you Mr. Wachira and others like you who give jobs because sexual prowess.
ReplyDeleteThese guys who have worked in parastatal have those silly behaviors he should be sacked and replaced with hardworking Kenyan.
ReplyDeleteThese old names are just a waste of time in media. We have immense young talent in this town, I know few guys who have sat infront of me and wowed me, i will particularly mention two guys who i think very highly of. Tony Gatheca and John Mavungo.(Not heard of them though since they left Kiss FM agency sales) i am sure top media houses can find them..and... Tichi did not flirt to get to KBC leave alone anything else, we know this town.
ReplyDeleteTo respond to your comment, Tony Gatheca went to work for some graphics company and later found his balance and moved to Capital FM.
ReplyDeleteKiss FM had very good chaps esp 2002-2005, other media house's had to poach and they are now all over the place. I used to be in Media then and i know Royal Media is doing very well for itself to the chagrin of Capital and a lesser extend Kiss FM. It may not be particular people who improve revenue but the stations programming. Agencies dont book airtime on a station because the sales executive sharp, its all about what the station can do to a brand. I once heard George Lutta say that he hates sales executives who tell him "support us", Its not his money, he his not asking for votes to give free money. Managers can be good, but agencies need value and its all about what mileage a station gives a brand.
ReplyDeletewhats this nonsence about mileage and brand, just bring caroline mutoko in the boardroom and a client will sign on, we are so wawed by people who have their act together we cant even think twice, the day caroline will stop watching the revenue side of kiss fm thats the day that station will die on the other side kasavuli mwanyinga and the rest have no clue how to sell customers emotion to drive them to a brand, so unfortunately caroline will rule kenyas radio till jesus comes, hate her or love her she leads on the air and in the boardroom. she also knows who is nonsense in this town and her advise works, i know sales guys who hovered around her and she made them tick. i honestly wish i can get chance to work with her. and those who say she has no patience...just match up in a boardroom and she will love the intelligent conversation you have to offer, be useless and she will tell you to go work for some FM station in Kajiado. You have to know your stuff and all of us who are either silly to match up to her we blame her, go to school, read and caroline mutoko will relate to you. she has made kiss what it is, not that MD not those sales guys we know/hear.
ReplyDeletecaroline mutoko knows sales? then mrtha karua can preach then
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the old guard in the media. These gits will simply not let go. It's really sad when the owners of a station, use personal preferences to run stations. The media should be bigger than one person. S K Macharia and Chris Kirubi are the worst thing that has ever happened to the airwaves. Both of them have their own brand of partisan hackery and personal bias that they make their stations reflect. It's a shame and I hope both of the old geezers die soon.......it will be an awesome day for media in kenya.
ReplyDeleteRoyal Media Services please style-up. There are so many new talents that you can nurture from all over. We are tired of kina Kasavuli's, Loius, Swaleh...etc We wanna see other hot youths appearing on our screens CITIZEN TV. Kuzeni vipawa mlivyo navyo.
ReplyDeleteCITIZEN TV please give us young and hot faces, the likes of Lilian Muli and Esther Arunga of KTN, this does not mean that you poach but...............
ReplyDeleteI read this article and I feel there are some people who really need to grow up in their heads of get a jerk lift of their dillussioned IQ's. How come any young woman who is either talented, gifted or just lucky to be in the limelight through her sweat and the fact that the world is opening up to gender sensitivity draws this hate attitudes of having slept their way up the ladder or be labeled a mistress to a Male CEO or whatever.I am really concerned about the comments made in this article paricularly towards Nyatichi Nyasani.-Sitati. This is one woman who is pretty (truth be told), focused, a go-getter and talented. I respect her so much because after her stint in the media,she left and indelible mark that is why some haters can not stop saying nasty things about her, she made history by being the youngest CEO when she held the office of CEO at the Kenya Film Commission after Wachira Waruru left to head Citizen. Shame on all those who are mudslinging her without knowing that some of us who are young in this industry have been motivated by the Nyatichi's and Jasmins of this country and continue to look up to her for motivation. Wenye wivu wajinyonge!!!!Kwendeni
ReplyDeletewhat does everyone think of michael njenga of citizen tv? cant wait to hear your comments guys!!
ReplyDeleteim magare peter. to respond to your comments, i must support him, whether he had an affair or not, he brought us good faces.what we want is good faces and voices, who they were hired is not the viewer's problem. tshnks for hiring Julie gichuru.
ReplyDeletehappy are those who never fear competition.everyone aspires to be the best.Macharia has set the pace in the media industry. the guy is smart.if other stations fail to pay their staff well....then...everyone will go where life can be good.about boss-servant relationships...whether rumored or true, its inevitable.we are human beings.it depends with your principles.Michael Njenga is the coolest news anchor i have ever seen.he is himself and real...no pretending.
ReplyDeletemy two cents worth: Kenyan media in 2008 has been explosive,ktn kept the flag high even after their top brands were snatched, citizen brought a new wave of local productions, which woke nation up and now our actors have better paying jobs...as for ntv news...well? no comment, kbc...sleeping giant,but the best for me this year is CNBC africa. That Terryanne chich has made me unnderstand and kove kenyan business news....and africa also knows that there is a kenya..,,
ReplyDeleteTalking of media and all,2009 has seen the fall of a giant production house in the name of Ukweli Video Productions thanks to a Nun Sr. Agnes Lando who also lectures at Daystar University.This nun whose stint started at AMECEA for all the wrong reasons has slept her way up the adminstrative ladder if the watchman at the Machakos Diocese's appartment on Church rd is anythng to go by.Her nocturnal knocks at the residence are quite consistent,anyway watchout for more as we complete our research on her...
ReplyDeleteI am posting this comment because of the chance given to me at RMS during the times of Gikonyo Macharia.That chap was good and sharp and believed in giving people chances!
ReplyDeleteThough i left RMS,I know it can be a force in the industry if such petty issues and home made politics disappeared.There is a lot of non sense that goes on in there and i am not sure if the Chairman is aware of.What is lacking at Communication Center is professionalism because the talent is there.
can i remind every one that we have better young and talented youth than kina lilian kanene ,esther and the likes try them they can triple their effort.
ReplyDeleteIts very disgusting to learn how staff in the media houses are recruited, most of them are on sexual grounds. This has tainted the image of the media. Shame on you all those who are culprits and to those with mannerisms under your sleeves keep it up
ReplyDeleteits real all this people you pick in the name of experience have it alll on the wrong side. does it mean that your managment cant creat their own star and stop giving people the same old taste from other station. oh please wake up and get the new raw talents
ReplyDeleteI am Jasmin Martin's niece, and this information is completely false! You people are sick! And yes, she DOES HAVE MEDIA EDUCATION! You must be VERY SAD PEOPE! Shame on you.
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