The Influence of New Media Technology on Television Content Production in Selected Television Stations in Kenya

Technology has permeated the media industry, leading to huge transitions in their operations. Technological advancements have led to a multiplicity of devices, ultimately affecting the content development process. This paper explores the influence of new media technology on television content production. It was born of a study that aimed at exploring ways in which the new media technology has influenced television content development in Kenya. The study was informed by The Technological Determinist Theory and the Media Determinism Theory. It was conducted in Nairobi County, being the centre of technological innovation in Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey design, its target population comprised of television content producers, program managers and television audiences. The producers were targeted since they interact with new media technologies daily, managers were targeted since they know the implications of the new media technology on television operations and television audiences were selected since they are more techno-savvy and more exposed to new media technologies compared to other population segments. The study employed the quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Tools for data collected included self-administered questionnaires, interview schedules and focus group discussion guides. The findings revealed that the most commonly used new media technologies for content production include digital video cameras, F, X, YouTube, Live-U, SI media, zoom app, OB tricasters, skype, and Smartphones among others. The study also revealed that new media technology has made the content-producing process cheaper and more efficient and allowed better output quality. On the flipside, it has led to citizen journalism which has opened doors to fake news and misinformation. Since technology has both negative and positive sides, the findings will help the television industry determine the place of new media technology in content development and work towards reinventing itself in order to remain relevant.