The Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal has authorized the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to revoke six broadcasting licenses belonging to the Standard Media Group. The decision was delivered on March 27, 2026, and it centers on a protracted dispute regarding KES 48,874,524.10 in unpaid regulatory fees and levies.
The conflict between the regulator and the media giant has been building for several years. According to the tribunal, Standard Group failed to remit annual license fees and the Universal Service Fund (USF) Levy, leading the CA to issue a Notice of Contravention on December 4, 2023. This notice lapsed on January 17, 2024, without settlement.
Despite several meetings held throughout 2023 and early 2024 to resolve the non-payment, the CA issued formal Notices of Revocation on September 24, 2024. By April 2025, the CA informed the group that it would proceed to publish the revocation in the Kenya Gazette. The six affected licenses include prominent stations such as KTN News, KTN Burudani, Radio Maisha, Spice FM, Vybez Radio, and Berur FM.
The tribunal ultimately dismissed Standard Group’s appeal, asserting that the media house had been given ample notice and opportunities to comply and that broadcasting frequencies are scarce public resources that must be regulated strictly.
Standard Group’s Defense
In a defiant press statement, the Standard Group PLC characterized the tribunal’s ruling and the CA’s actions as a distortion of the truth and a coordinated assault intended to silence the media house. While acknowledging the outstanding regulatory fees, the group argued that these arrears were not a result of bad faith, but rather a direct consequence of the Government of Kenya’s failure to pay over KES 1.2 billion owed to the Standard Group for advertising and media services rendered over several years.
Standard Group’s leadership stated that “The Government cannot hold a knife to our throat with one hand while extending an empty promise of payment with the other. The remedy is simple: Pay what you owe The Standard Group, and we will pay what we owe the CA”.
The group also contested the tribunal’s findings by claiming a payment plan had been established in December 2024, which they allege the CA ignored. Standard Group intends to appeal the decision to the High Court, asserting that under the Kenya Information and Communications Act (KICA), such an appeal should act as an automatic stay of execution, allowing them to remain on air.
The threat of losing its primary broadcasting licenses comes at a time of significant financial pressure for the company. As of March 27, 2026, Standard Group Ltd (SGL) market capitalization was KES 528 million, ranking it as the 56th most valuable stock on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).
While the stock has shown resilience with a 16.6% gain over the last three months, the actual revocation of licenses for KTN News and its radio portfolio would likely be catastrophic for its market performance. These stations are core components of its television broadcasting and distribution segments.
If the group is forced to shut down these stations, it would lose its primary revenue-generating assets, potentially leading to a sharp decline in share value and further depressing its already negative price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of -0.49. The P/E ratio has been in negative territory on account of financial under-performance.
For now, the Standard Group remains operational, banking on a legal reprieve from the superior courts to keep its journalists employed and its stations on the air.
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