Why Radio Maisha, Spice FM & KTN Burudani may go dark: Inside row between Standard Group & CA

The Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal on March 27, 2026 dismissed an appeal by Standard Group PLC, giving the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) the green light to revoke six broadcasting licences held by the media house over unpaid regulatory fees totalling Sh48,874,524.

The affected licences cover Radio Maisha, Spice FM, KTN Burudani, Vybez Radio, Berur FM and KTN News.

KTN News has been off air since July 2024, when Standard Group shut it down and moved its programming to KTN Home as part of a cost-cutting restructuring.

The CA issued Notices of Contravention on December 4, 2023, giving Standard Group 45 days, until January 17, 2024, to settle the arrears.

The debt comprised Sh13.8 million in licence fees and Sh34.9 million in Universal Service Fund (USF) levies.

Under KICA, broadcasters must remit a USF levy, set at 0.5% of annual turnover, to fund ICT infrastructure in underserved areas.

Standard Group did not pay within that window.

The CA followed up with Notices of Revocation on September 24, 2024.

In December 2024, both sides reached an agreement.

Standard Group paid an initial Sh10 million and committed to a structured repayment plan.

Monthly payments were later raised from Sh2.5 million to Sh4 million, with Sh4 million remitted in both January and February 2025.

The CA maintained Standard Group had not cleared the full amount or submitted a satisfactory payment plan before the revocation notices expired, and moved to proceed.

The tribunal upheld that position, finding the CA had given multiple opportunities over a sustained period for Standard Group to regularise its position, and that regulatory obligations under KICA were clear and non-negotiable.

The media house does not dispute the debt. In its March 27, 2026 statement, it says the arrears accumulated because the government has not paid what it owes the group.

Reports from 2025 placed government advertising arrears owed to media houses at around Sh1.2 billion, with budget documents for 2026 indicating planned payments of about Sh228.9 million as part of a Sh866 million settlement across several outlets.

Standard Group has instructed its legal team to file an appeal at the High Court.

Under KICA, filing an appeal at the High Court operates as an automatic stay of execution of the tribunal's decision, meaning the CA cannot act on the revocation while the matter is before the court.

The group has warned that any attempt to gazette the revocation or take its stations off air before the appeal is determined will attract immediate legal action for contempt.

The CA has stated it intends to proceed with revocation.

Standard Group says it will exhaust every legal avenue available.

For now, the law gives the stations a reprieve: they remain on air while the High Court determines the appeal.

Whether the dispute ends in a negotiated settlement or runs its full legal course will determine the fate of Radio Maisha, Spice FM, KTN Burudani and the other affected licences.