Type | Television (since 1963) Radio (since 1953) |
---|---|
Branding | UBC |
Country | |
Availability | National |
Founded | 8 October 1963 by Government of Uganda |
Headquarters | Broadcast House, 17/19 Nile Avenue, Kampala, Uganda |
Parent | Uganda Ministry of Information and Communications Technology |
Launch date | October 8, 1963 |
Former names | Radio Uganda (1954-2006) Uganda Television (UTV; 1963-2006) |
Picture format | 720p (HDTV) |
Affiliates | Magic 1, Star TV, Bryan Morel Publications, U24 and Ugospel. |
Official website | ubc |
Language | English |
Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) is the public broadcaster network of Uganda. It was founded as a result of the "Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act, 2004", which merged the operations of Uganda Television (UTV) and Radio Uganda. It started broadcasting on November 16, 2005. [1]
The Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act stated that the UBC should be funded by the levying of a television licence fee. Collection of a licence fee set at USh 20,000/= (around €8.40 or US$10.80) started in 2005. However, collection was subsequently halted by President Yoweri Museveni. There has since been pressure to reinstate the licence fee to maintain UBC's independence. [2] UBC operates the UBC TV channel and five radio stations. [1]
Until May 2011, Edward Musinguzi was the managing director. He was fired along with all of the governing board for "massive corruption" involving unpaid salaries, the sale of land owned by the corporation, and advertisements sold during the 2010 World Cup. [1]
The broadcast studios and main offices of UBC are located at plot 17–19 Nile Avenue, Nakasero Hill, in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The geographic coordinates of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation headquarters are: 0°18'59.0"N, 32°35'21.0"E (Latitude:0.316389; Longitude:32.589167). [3]
The British colonial administration set up the Uganda Broadcasting Service in 1954. The primary goal was to support the colonial agenda of the then-current government. The station primarily broadcast news from the external service of the BBC and other programmes. UBS was also instrumental in silencing the pro-independence movement at the time. After independence, UBS was renamed Radio Uganda. [4] Up until the 1980s, both radio and television units were seen as government mouthpieces. [4]
In 1963, a year after the independence of Uganda, Uganda Television service was set up. Much like the Uganda Broadcasting Service that came before, the station was built with European engineers. The station was initially housed at the Nakasero facilities, that were later demolished to make room for a Hilton hotel. [5] Bob Astles was appointed head of the outside broadcast unit in 1963, [6] a position he held until 1971 when Idi Amin took over the government. Amin wanted Astles to continue working for UTV, but was subsequently refused as Astles supported Obote and was subsequently jailed. [7]
Idi Amin's rule oversaw massive changes to Uganda Television, which was his first target. UTV was already a propaganda tool for the Obote government, something that was heavily retooled under the new leader. Network head Aggrey Awori was beaten up and fled to Kenya, his deputee James Bwogi took his place. He demanded to reform the broadcaster with the aim of introducing current affairs programmes reflective of his plan to make UTV a medium of discussion. Thanks to his reorganisation, UTV started housing opinions from "an increasing number of people", often showing opinions that never pleased Amin. Subsequently he was abducted and Amin reformulated UTV again. The main news lasted for one hour, in four languages, English, Swahili, French and Arabic, per a presidential decree, even though French and Arabic were never official languages in the country. [8]
The new UBC was formally launched on 19 April 2006 under the new corporate tagline "Bigger, Better". [9] The channel was also made available on the JumpTV platform shortly after, aiming at the diaspora. [10]
When he assumed office in 2016, Frank Tumwebaze, the Information and ICT Minister, established an ad-hoc committee to look into the affairs of the broadcaster. The ad-hoc committee found that UBC was in debt and had too many employees, whom it paid poorly and utilized them sub-optimally, among other infractions. [11]
A team was set up to address the short-comings. The pay-roll was reduced from 525 to 349 people. To weed out the 176 who need to be let go, all 525 members of staff were instructed to re-apply, if interested. Those who opt for retirement or early retirement would be provided with appropriate retirement packages. [11]
The changes, which were expected to take effect starting July 2018, were projected to reduce the wage bill from USh 4.5 billion (approximately US$1.25 million) annually to USh 3.5 billion (approximately US$955,000). [11]
In October 2018, the company hired Maurice Mugisha, formerly "Head of News Production" at NTV Uganda, to serve as its new Deputy Managing Director. [12]
The Uganda Broadcasting Corporation owns five radio stations, three of them general and two of them exclusively over FM (Star FM in Luganda and Magic FM which started in mid-2008). The three core networks were the Red network (North/West Nile, in English, Alur, Kakwa, Kinubi, Lugbara, Madi and Luo), the Blue network (Central/Southern, in Runyoro-Rutoro, Luganda, Rwamba, Rukonzo, Urufumbira and Ruruli) and the Butebo network (East/Northeast, in Lusoka, Nyakarimojong, Ateso, Kumam, Lumasaba, Lunyole-Lusamia, Lugwe, Adhola, Kupsabiny and Lugwere). These networks are grouped according to the primary languages spoken in their respective areas. [4]
UBC operates one television channel, UBC TV. As of the late 2000s, the channel's terrestrial network was received in 60% of the country, the widest coverage compared to its private competitors. [4]
There are a number of systems of communication in Uganda, including a system of telephony, radio and television broadcasts, internet, mail, and several newspapers. The use of phones and the internet in Uganda has rapidly increased in the last few years.
Idi Amin Dada Oumee was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern world history.
Apollo Milton Obote was a Ugandan politician who served as the second prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and the second president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and later from 1980 to 1985.
The History of Uganda from 1979 to 1986 comprises the history of Uganda since the end of the dictatorship of Idi Amin. This period has seen the second rule of Milton Obote and the presidency of Yoweri Museveni since 1986, in which Ugandan politics have been dominated by the National Resistance Movement.
John Ssebaana Kizito was a Ugandan businessman, economist and politician. He was the president of the Democratic Party (DP) in Uganda from 2005 to 2010. Kizito was a member of the University Council of Ndejje University. He was reported to be one of the wealthiest people in Uganda, having sizable holdings in real estate and insurance.
Robert Astles, BEM was a British soldier and colonial officer who lived in Uganda and became an associate of presidents Milton Obote and Idi Amin.
The Fall of Kampala, also known as the Liberation of Kampala, was a battle during the Uganda–Tanzania War in 1979, in which the combined forces of Tanzania and the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) attacked and captured the Ugandan capital, Kampala. As a result, Ugandan President Idi Amin was deposed, his forces were scattered, and a UNLF government was installed.
The 1971 coup d'état in Uganda was the military overthrow of president Milton Obote's government. The coup was staged by major general Idi Amin Dada, commander of the Uganda Army. The seizure of power occurred on January 25 while Obote was attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Singapore. For various reasons, relations between Obote and Amin—his army commander—had become insidiously strained. Amin's plot was primarily driven by a concern to retain power over the military hence guaranteeing his own personal survival. After the coup's success, Amin installed himself as president; ruling—until 1979—by decree over an impoverished nation. He is often referred to as one of the most brutal dictators in modern political history
Kikosi Maalum, also known as the Special Battalion or the grand coalition, was a militia of Ugandan exiles formed in Tanzania to fight against the regime of Idi Amin. The unit was founded by and loyal to former Ugandan President Milton Obote, and served as his de facto private army. It was commanded by former army officers David Oyite-Ojok, and Tito Okello. Kikosi Maalum took part in the Uganda–Tanzania War, fighting alongside the Tanzanian military against Amin's forces. In course of this conflict, the militia was nominally unified with other Ugandan rebel groups, forming the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) in 1979. After the fall of Amin's regime and Obote's return to power, Kikosi Maalum became the core of Uganda's new national army.
Before Uganda's independence in 1962, the main banks in Uganda were Barclays ; Grindlays, Standard Bank and the Bank of Baroda from India. The currency was issued by the East African Currency Board, a London-based body. In 1966, the Bank of Uganda (BoU), which controlled the issue of currency and managed foreign exchange reserves, became the central bank and national banking regulator. The government-owned Uganda Commercial Bank and the Uganda Development Bank were launched in the 1960s. The Uganda Development Bank is a state-owned development finance institution, which channeled loans from international sources into Ugandan enterprises and administered most of the development loans made to Uganda.
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is a water supply and sanitation company in Uganda. It is wholly owned by the government of Uganda.
The Sheraton Kampala Hotel is a hotel in Kampala, the capital of Uganda and its largest city. It is one of the three Five star hotels in Kampala, as rated by the Uganda Tourism Board in June 2015.
Jehoash Ssibakyalyawo Mayanja Nkangi or Joash Mayanja Nkangi was a Ugandan lawyer, civil servant and politician. At the time of his death, he was the immediate past chairman of the Uganda Land Commission. He previously served as a cabinet minister in several ministries in the Cabinet of Uganda.
Irene Birungi Mugisha, is a Ugandan entrepreneur, broadcaster, and columnist who works as a private secretary for the administration at the office of the president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, effective September 2017.
James Mbuzi Nyonyintono Zikusoka, was a Ugandan civil engineer, who served as the Cabinet Minister of Works and Transport from 1971 until 1972.
Josephine Karungi, is a Ugandan journalist and television personality who works as a media and communications consultant at the World Bank Uganda, based at their offices in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. Before that, from 1 October 2018 until 30 March 2021, she served as Head of News, at NTV Uganda, in acting capacity. In that role, she reported directly to the general manager, Editorial, Daniel Kalinaki.
Isaac Maliyamungu, also known as Isaac Lugonzo, was a Ugandan military officer who served as one of President Idi Amin's most important officials and supporters during the Ugandan military dictatorship of 1971–79. Born in the Congo, Maliyamungu was one of the members of the 1971 coup that brought Amin to power, and was thereafter responsible for brutally suppressing dissidents throughout the country. Rising through the ranks, Maliyamungu amassed great power and earned a feared reputation. He was responsible for the mass murder of civilians and soldiers suspected of being disloyal to Amin.
Maurice Herbert Mugisha, is a Ugandan journalist, broadcaster and corporate executive who works as the deputy managing director of the government-owned media company, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), effective October 2018.
The State Research Bureau (SRB), initially the State Research Centre (SRC), was a Ugandan intelligence agency. Active from 1971 until 1979, it served as a secret police organisation for President Idi Amin's regime. The SRB retained numerous agents and maintained a wide network of informants.
Andrew Joet Mukooza was a Ugandan military officer who served as the last head of the Uganda Army Air Force before its destruction during the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–79. Born in eastern Uganda, Mukooza joined the air force during the presidency of Milton Obote. In 1971, army commander Idi Amin assumed power in Uganda. Mukooza stayed firmly loyal to Amin's regime, and consequently rose in the ranks. He possibly helped Amin to defeat a coup attempt in 1977, drawing the ire of Uganda's opposition. When the Uganda–Tanzania War broke out, Mukooza initially flew missions as fighter pilot and became head of the Uganda Army Air Force when the latter began to disintegrate amid combat losses, defections, and desertions. Following the defeat of Amin, Mukooza surrendered to the new Tanzanian-backed government of Uganda, but was murdered under uncertain circumstances.