Radio Maisha stars to head new FM station

Head of Radio Maisha Tom Jappani and Programmes Controller Lynda Oriaso could be tapped to lead Standard Group’s new urban radio station, Spice FM.

According to reports, the station will broadcast on 94.4 FM on which the defunct QFM, which was culled by Nation Media Group in 2016.

This is after Standard bought the frequency and others associated with it countrywide. The station is already broadcasting in Nairobi on a pilot basis playing music from the 90s, an indication of its target niche.

Jappani joined Radio Maisha from BBC Swahili in London and has been its head for over eight years while Oriaso landed at the Mombasa Road station after losing her job at QFM after it was shut down as NMG rationalised its broadcasting division, scaling down its traditional radio business in Kenya and Rwanda. Also closed were Nation FM in Kenya and KFM in Rwanda while QTV was merged with NTV.

The two’s impending departure from Radio Maisha will see changes at the top with Nick Odhiambo and Mwende Macharia being seen as likely successors.

Standard Group has been seeking to diversify its operations in the face of dwindling circulation and ad revenues though it managed to hit its half year target in November last year.

The media house got a nod to launch Spice FM from the Communications Authority of Kenya in September last year alongside KTN Burudani TV, which is also already on air.

Sources had indicated two stations are targeting millennials (those aged between 18 and 35 years) and would offer entertainment news and shows.

The entertainment segment in Kenya’s music industry is still virgin with mainstream TV stations just allocating few hours for music and other entertainment programming.

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However, the Kenya Red Cross is set to launch Switch TV, which will also target millennials. It has already recruited noted media personalities including Shaffie Weru, DNG (Davidson Ngibuini), Grace Msalame, Nzula Makosi and Remmy Majala, in addition to injecting new blood.