Abstract:
The role of mass media is to inform mass audiences in diverse ways and help them make
informed decisions about their day-to-day activities. Unfortunately, in this digital era some
audiences are still uninformed via Digital Television due to the information divide. This
study examined access of information by television audiences and the period of digital
migration in Kesses Sub County, Uasin Gishu County with a view of suggesting measures
for increasing accessibility of information by audiences. Objectives of this study were to:
Find out sources of information used by Kesses residents, establish accessibility of
information via television handset by audiences, analyze challenges emerging from digital
migration and propose strategies for improving access to information by audiences. The
study was guided by uses and gratification theory and adopted household survey design in
gathering data. The researcher used qualitative and some aspects of quantitative
approaches. Target populations for this study were TV handset owners in Kesses Sub
County. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to TV handset owners but key
informants were interviewed. Target population for this study was 400. The researcher
used 30% to get a sample size of 120 for the study. Purposeful sampling was employed to
identify 20 key informants, while simple random sampling used to identify 100 TV set
owners. Interview was used to collect qualitative data while questionnaires were used to
collect quantitative data which was presented and analyzed thematically and by use of
descriptive statistics. The major finding of the study was that Television is a popular
medium of information and that access to information via TV handset after digital
migration is hardly accessed by low income earners and those in the rural due to financial
constraints and unreliable connectivity. It is therefore recommended that; stakeholders
should avert financial implication to consumers by; reviewing prices of set top boxes, the
subscriptions, integrated televisions, the cost of digital transmission and finally, the media
to give audiences appropriate information without bias. With technological evolution,
digital broadcast cannot be overlooked, however, economically disempowered and the
marginalized regions need to be considered in the implementation of technological
advancement. This will ensure audience are enabled to access information via their
television handsets hence, elevate accessibility of digital content.
