Government tasked on free access for all local TV channels

Communication stakeholders have proposed free access for all local channels on different pay TV platforms operating in Uganda as a means of promoting digital transformation.
They made the proposal yesterday after recording a decline in gender and equity compliance from 67 percent in 2021/2022 to 60 percent in the 2022/2023 Post Budget Framework Paper. The assessment was conducted by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) under the digital transformation programme.

Speaking during a media engagement yesterday, the Managing Director of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), Mr Winston Agaba, said Ugandans are watching local channels on pay TV platforms yet the government has invested in the provision to watch them on free-to-air channels.

“All Ugandans are subscribing to watch local channels, including the marginalised people, and it’s not by accident because all national programmes are supposed to be on free to air channel but no one is pushing for it,” he said
Mr Agaba added that as stakeholders, they feel frustrated because the government is not bothered about the subscription fees paid by Ugandans to watch local channels.
“The power of communication means that there is a need to improve our own platforms supported by all stakeholders and then look for content, which is educative and guides all the beneficiaries,” he said.
Mr Agaba added that all communications stakeholders have a responsibility in promoting gender and equity responsiveness.
“The role of the national broadcaster is to inform, educate, guide and entertain but unfortunately when the air was liberalised,  there was a lot of excitement and people forgot that  there was a need to have free-to-air,” he said.
Mr Agaba added that digital television did not open the spectrum of the ICT sector to flourish but to have as many channels as possible but because of the subscription fees, Ugandans cannot watch all of them.
“Unfortunately by the time we migrated from analogue to digital, we did not even have 50 percent of what is required to migrate but it was ignored because currently, the majority are on pay TV platforms,” he said.

Mr Habiibu Sseruwagi, a member of EOC, said they will look into the proposal.
“It is very good that it has come out; there is no way we can really give investors  for pay TV platforms a good working environment  and then they take everything away,” he said.
Mr Sseruwagi added that in terms of digital transformation, there must be some element of corporate social responsibility where some local channels remain free-to-air.
“As EOC, we are going to engage stakeholders on the matter to see that at least the proposal is considered in terms of promoting gender and equity compliance,” he said.
The executive director of National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), Dr Hatwib Mugasa, said they are working to digitise 80 percent of the government services to ensure easy access by the citizens.

He explained that there is a need to have all government services digitalised to enable marginalised people, especially older persons, access them.
 “We want that technology, which can alert the health personnel that there is an older person who needs medication,” he said
Efforts to reach managers of pay TV platforms were futile.