Judge orders delay in Kenya TV switchover

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Kenya's high court has ordered a delay in the switch from analog to digital television, saying it was preferable to wait until after the March elections.

An immediate move to digital and shutting down of analog broadcasts would be unfair to Kenyans interested in following the election results on TV, Justice Isaac Lenaola said.

A consumer group had challenged the decision of the Communications Commission of Kenya to turn off analog television last month, arguing Kenyans had not been given sufficient time to get ready for the changeover, the BBC reported.

The Consumer Federation of Kenya argued the cost of set-top boxes needed to receive digital transmissions would be prohibitively expensive for 4 million Kenyans who would be affect by the switch.

Judge Lenaola ordered the commission and the federation to agree on a new date, saying he felt should put off until after the March 2013 elections.

Previous elections have proved highly contentious in Kenya, where television is the main news source in most cities and towns, the BBC said.