KAMPALA: Broadcasters under their umbrella body have told government that they would not grant free airtime for their Covid-19 talk shows, as asked.
The government had written to broadcasters, via the Uganda Communications Commission, directing them to allocate free airtime to Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), and District Health Officers (DHOs) every Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Sundays between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in order to mobilise the population for Covid-19 vaccination, as the president had indicated.
According to the broadcasters, despite writing to the government through the Prime Minister’s Office for a deliberate campaign on mass vaccination through media campaigns, they did not receive a response.
The NAB adds that, like any other sector, broadcasters have been severely impacted by the pandemic, which has harmed them financially, despite the fact that they must pay taxes, licence fees, employee salaries, and operational costs, among other things, and that it is only prudent that the government pay for the services it requires from them.
“We have costs to pay in order to maintain services on the air, and we don’t receive any government subsidies,” said Kin Kariisa, chairman of NAB.
According to the NAB chairman, broadcasters will continue to broadcast presidential Covid-19 addresses for free, with or without notice, but the said Covid-19 vaccination mass sensitization programmes will have to be paid for.