By Spy Uganda
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has raised alarms about a concerning increase in inappropriate content across various media platforms, including television, radio, and online channels. This resurgence is marked by the dissemination of music, videos, and interviews featuring offensive and obscene material. Notably, many performances include scantily clad artists engaging in sexually suggestive dances, alongside songs rife with explicit innuendo and inappropriate messaging.
For long the public has been raising an alarm over ‘sexually disturbing’ music videos of musicians like; Sheebah Karungi, Winnie Nwagi, Karole Kasita and Lydia Jazmine.
According to UCC, such video content directly contravenes the Minimum Broadcasting Standards as specified in Section 31 and Schedule 4 of the Uganda Communications Act, 2013. This legislation mandates that broadcasters ensure their programming aligns with public morality, adheres to existing laws, and properly schedules adult-oriented content.
UCC says, despite multiple reminders and warnings, including formal communications issued on August 9, 2021, and October 25, 2023, several broadcasters continue to overlook these critical legal requirements. “This ongoing disregard has prompted the Commission to reiterate the necessity of compliance with the Minimum Broadcasting Standards, the Uganda Communications (Content) Regulations of 2019, and all other relevant laws,” says UCC.
In light of these violations, the UCC has issued a directive to all broadcasters—television, radio, and online—to ensure that all content, including music videos and audio tracks, is accurately classified by the Media Council before airing, as stipulated under the Press and Journalist Act, Cap. 105.
The UCC emphasizes that failure to adhere to these regulations will result in appropriate legal consequences. “As the Commission works to uphold standards of decency and public morality in media, it calls on all broadcasters to take these regulations seriously, ensuring that the content aired respects the values and expectations of the Ugandan public,” further the Commission warns.
