UCC suspends ABS TV

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has suspended the broadcast licence of ABS television for repeated breach of minimum broadcasting standards.

UCC executive director, Godfery Mutabazi, indicated in his letter dated September 5, 2017 to the managing director of Auger Revival Ministries, Pastor Augustine Yiga, that the suspension of the TV licence follows several warnings the commission had given them to review their programmes.

"In spite of the several warnings and attempts to give management of ABS television time to review its programmes and avoid further broadcast of offensive programmes, the station has continued to act contrary to the minimum broadcasting standards," Mutabazi indicated.

Mutabazi noted that this was not the first time ABS TV was being penalised and that in October 2016, the station was fined sh25m and the station undertook not to broadcast any other offensive programme.

New Vision has learnt that the station current woes arose after the station owners decided to use skimpily dressed women to read out their 8:00pm news bulletins. In one of the newscasts, the women were made to undress, an attempt by the Christian linked station to woo viewers towards their news programme. 

Earlier on, the Kawala-based TV station had been suspended over its ‘Kalondozi' programme after numerous complaints from members of the public.

It often times broadcasted photos of women and men engaged in sexual activities in what UCC claimed violated section 31 of the Uganda Communications Act (2013) and Section 13 of the Anti-Pornography Act (2014).