Census: Broadcasters, UCC agree to only run Museveni’s messages
President Museveni. PHOTO/MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
The resolution was arrived at yesterday after the broadcasters through their umbrella body, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) together with the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) held a closed-door meeting in Kampala to resolve a disagreement they had with UCC
Broadcasters have agreed to run President Museveni’s message about the National Housing and Population Census that starts today and runs for the next 10 days.
The resolution was arrived at yesterday after the broadcasters through their umbrella body, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) together with the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) held a closed-door meeting in Kampala to resolve a disagreement they had with UCC.
The two parties had earlier clashed over the President’s message containing what the broadcasters termed as “other commercial adverts’’.
Speaking to the media after the meeting at the UCC offices, Mr Innocent Nahabwe, the chairman of NAB, revealed how they had resolved to only broadcast President Museveni’s message and no other government commercial adverts.
“The President’s message came with other commercial advertisements and we have told UCC that the government must pay for them. Government has budgeted for everything and how come they forget the media,” Mr Nahabwe said
“For that matter, we have agreed that all commercial communication which is not part of the President’s message will be handled separately. If we continue running commercial messages on directives of UCC, the business will suffer,” he added.
Further, Mr Nahabwe expressed fear that if they run these messages, it will open a floodgate for other agencies that will run to UCC for directives ordering private broadcasters to air their messages free of charge.
But the executive director for UCC, Mr Nyombi Thembo, said the Commission reminded media houses about their obligation to support government programmes.
On May 7, UCC directed all broadcasters in the country to broadcast President Museveni’s messages about the census in line with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance to provide free space for the said messages.
“The Uganda Communication Commission hereby directs all broadcasters to air the above message during the period 8th to 20th May 2024 in line with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance guidelines for the provision of free government air time. All broadcasters are urged to promote and support the National Population and Housing Census 2024 to make it a success,” UCC directed.
UCC added: “The Commission further reminds all broadcasters of the obligation to allocate time for coverage of national events and functions as per Schedule 6: conditions of a licence in the Uganda Communications Act 2013 and calls upon all media houses to comply and give maximum publicity to the National Population and Housing Census, 2024.”
But in response to the UCC directive, the broadcasters hit back and said they acknowledged the importance of census but they also had financial obligations to meet. They further stated that media organisations operate as commercial entities, paying licensing fees to the UCC, and taxes and foot operational expenses.
“Deliberate budgeting for the national initiatives such as the census should be undertaken, akin to other programmes of the census that have been adequately budgeted for,” NAB wrote on May 8.
It added: “It is on the basis of these considerations that we regrettably declined to comply with the UCC directive...”
Ministry advice. Speaking to the media ahead of the census exercise yesterday the Minister for Information and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said the two parties need to work together because they did not budget for media messages.
