Covid-19: Media fined for broadcasting against Tanzania’s stance
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has ordered three local media outlets to make a public apology as well as pay a fine of five million within 30 days after the institution said they breached the license conditions and the law.
According to TCRA, the fines follow the Star Media Tanzania Limited,Multichoice Tanzania Limited and Azam Digital Broadcast Limited failure to comply with the authority’s regulations of the electronic postal communications.
According to TCRA the media channels had transmitted via their respective platforms, a television broadcast of “false and misleading information about Tanzania’s stance on Covid-19.”
In its statement issued by the director general on April 2, 2020, as seen by The Citizen yesterday, Star Media and Azam Digital were ordered to appear before the regulator on 27 March, while Multichoice Tanzania was scheduled to report on 30 March, to show cause why regulatory measures should not be taken against them for their being in breach of the law.
“In response, the companies appeared... as ordered and acknowledged to have committed the breach,” reads part of the statement from TCRA.
However failure to comply with the orders, “we shall proceed to take further regulatory and legal action against them without further notice and at their own costs and consequences,” says the statement.
