Popular news anchor Betty Kyalo’s return to the big screen on Friday was met with mixed reactions from a cross section of viewers with some terming it as a flop.
Kyalo made a grand entry into DSM Place, the K24 base on Kijabe Street, amid pomp and colour. She was accorded VIP escort as Mediamax Network broke the bank to maximise on her debut.
However, Kyalo was late for the 9pm weekend edition, now christened Weekend with Betty, and the station indicated a mysterious VIP guest was to appear on the programme only to emerge it was the newscaster herself.
While Kyalo now shoulders the burden of drawing in more viewers, it appears she would have to reinvent herself and the station must stop depending on her beauty and glamour and invest more on content if the reactions on social media were anything to go by.
Now that she has started working, her relationship with Mediamax now depends not on how much excitement she creates on social media but on how many eyeballs she attracts for K24.
Here are some of the comments:
Whenever you feel useless remember K24 hired limos, went to JKIA, went to Kempinski and hired chase cars, and all along no one was inside #MysteriousVIP— Mahenia Sam (@MaheniaSam) December 7, 2018
My friends at @K24Tv are advertising news by Betty Kyallo as soft pornography. Are you selling fashion, looks and beauty or CONTENT? It is sad that news this days is all about fashion, looks and soft porn. The emphasis on content has been relegated to the dustbins of history.
— Lord Abraham Mutai, #ConsumersBeware (@ItsMutai) December 8, 2018Nipate #MysteriousVIP no Betty kyalo, sitawai switch on K24
— Enock M Makori(CPAK) (@CycloneKenya1) December 7, 2018But Kyalo remained optimistic that her new journey will be a successful one.
#WeekendwithBetty thank you all so so so much for watching my debut at K24. I appreciate it. ❤ It’s not easy starting new journeys but this one has been one fantastic ride ? hope to see you next Furahiday. Now cheers to one lit weekend and God bless all of you. Kisses & hugs. pic.twitter.com/3lAap2UY9J
— Betty Kyallo (@BettyMKyallo) December 8, 2018K24 is currently ranked at number 5 among TV stations in Kenya and investors, who include the Kenyatta family and Deputy President William Ruto, are keen to see it match its competitors.
Media watchers will know that it is not the first time the station is hiring a celebrity anchor to boost its status. Veteran broadcaster Jeff Koinange was at one time working for K24, then owned by Rose Kimotho, but failed to make a major impact.
Meanwhile, Alex Mwakideu has been promoted to the position of Head of Radio at Milele FM.
READ: COURT STOPS DCI FROM POSTING MUGSHOTS OF SUSPECTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
In the changes, Samuel Ngunjiri was also promoted to Deputy Head of Radio.
