Broadcasters under their umbrella body have described as untenable, a directive by Uganda Communications Commission to have all content classified by the Media Council before being broadcasted.
UCC last week said following a surge in explicit content being broadcast by the media, going forward, all content, including music videos and audios should be properly classified by media council before being aired in accordance with the Press and Journalist Act.
On Wednesday, UCC met with broadcasters and other stakeholders in regards the directive.
Speaking during the meeting, NAB chairperson, Dr.Innocent Nahabwe described the directive as being hard to enforce, noting that the growth of the media industry has come with its own challenges.
“Beyond just the radio and TV, we now have social media playing in the same field. In that regard, content has also moved from what we used to watch on UBC that we now have a change in the content aired. The issues we now have are as a result of the liberalization of the air waves which has increased competition among media houses,” Nahabwe said.
“Because of the increased competition, there is an increasing need to outdo each other. The trade is therefore changing.”
He explained that whereas they are happy to work with UCC to enforce minimum broadcasting standards , it might not be easy to achieve the desired results.
The NAB chairperson said whereas content that goes through legacy media like TVs and radios can be controlled, the same cannot be done with social media platforms.
“There is a growing influence of the public now, each with their phone, generating content and accessing content they want. “
Dr.Nahabwe said with free to air services not easily accessed, especially outside Kampala, most Ugandans use pay tv services, most of these airing content from abroad that he said is not sieved.
“This means free to air tv can only be viewed on pay tv platforms. Those pay tv platforms only have local tv as a small contribution of their package. It means that as much us we might clamp down on local television for broadcasting suggestive dances and sexual innuendos, you can only control the local channels and not the international ones.”
“You can’t be clamping down on local programming yet it is only available as a small percentage of a bouquet on a platform where international programming takes place. This means the local televisions will have a little chance to compete.”
He insisted that by clamping down on traditional media, those operating on the internet, especially social media which are not regulated will have a field day at the expense of the former.
Artists
The NAB chairperson said asking musicians take their songs before release to the Media Council for classification requires that each pays at least $200 for this service which he said could be expensive for a number of them.
“This means you have not given the artists a chance to fight . When we talk about classification by the media council, our biggest challenge is the cost.”
He however said NAB members will try to ensure they broadcast appropriate content but called for fairness and competitive space.
Speaking during the meeting, Suzan Wegoye, the UCC director for legal affairs said there is a troubling resurgence of inappropriate content being aired across various media channels that needs to be regulated.
“As UCC we have observed that there is an alarming increase in the nature of this inappropriate content which is not only offensive but also seen as distressing and this is only manifested in music, lyrics, videos and interviews where there are inappropriately dressed performers engage in suggestive dances and songs that filled with explicit sexual innuendos and inappropriate messages,” Wegoye said.
She said it is distressing that media platforms seem to be in competition in exhibiting explicit content.
The UCC director for legal affairs insisted these practices are in direct violation of minimum broadcasting standards as outlined Section 31 of the UCC Act.
“You must ensure that any program broadcasted aligns with public morality, complies with existing laws and that adult oriented content is appropriately scheduled. If you are a content producer or aggregator, or whatever it is but you are responsible for the different stages of content, please ensure that it complies with the requirements of the law.”
Julian Mweheire, the director industry affairs and content at UCC said in shaping public discourse and influencing societal values, broadcasters are entrusted with the responsibility to educate, inform and entertain but said this comes with accountability.
“These standards are not just a regulatory requirement but they are essential guidelines that ensure that content is responsible, respectful and reflective of the diverse society we serve,” she said.
She noted there is need to adhere to the set standards to create a safe environment that encourages positive development and critical thinking for vulnerable groups like children.
However, both parties agreed to have a middle ground in resolving the matter.