By Edmund Kagire Rwanda Today
In Summary
- The first week of the tournament, which is taking place in Brazil, saw bitter wrangles between RBA and others who had promised to continue broadcasting the event, prompting Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (Rura) to intervene.
- Rura observed that “Fifa should be the one to protect RBA content from any third party who may illegally access or use it.”
- Rura’s response was seen as a go-ahead by the defiant media organisations to continue screening matches from other sources or directly from the state broadcaster Rwanda Television (RTV).
The rights to broadcast the ongoing Fifa World
Cup continue to pit private television and radio stations against Rwanda
Broadcasting Agency (RBA), which says it has exclusive rights to relay
all content related to the biggest world football competition.
TV1, Lemigo TV, Flash FM, Radio 1 and pay-per-view
service provider StarTimes have faced the wrath of RBA, which insists
it is the only authorised entity to broadcast or distribute World Cup
content in Rwanda and it will protect those rights at all cost.
The first week of the tournament, which is taking
place in Brazil, saw bitter wrangles between RBA and others who had
promised to continue broadcasting the event, prompting Rwanda Utilities
Regulatory Authority (Rura) to intervene.
Rura however side-stepped the matter, stating that
it could not intervene in a matter concerning RBA and other parties,
namely African Union of Broadcasters (AUB) and Fifa, with which it has a
contract, as it was outside its mandate.
In a letter, a copy of which was seen by Rwanda Today, Rura observed that “Fifa should be the one to protect RBA content from any third party who may illegally access or use it.”
Rura’s response was seen as a go-ahead by the
defiant media organisations to continue screening matches from other
sources or directly from the state broadcaster Rwanda Television (RTV).
Consequently, RBA director-general Arthur Asiimwe has faulted Rura for failing to fulfil its duties.
“Isn’t it Rura’s job to regulate content?” Mr
Asiimwe asked while blaming Rura for failing to resolve the standoff
over broadcasting rights. “If we went to Rura to say, look, these people
are broadcasting our content illegally, why wouldn’t they intervene?”
While the local media houses continue to broadcast
the World Cup, Mr Asiimwe says that a precedent will be set when the
AUB comes in to regulate the field and penalise whoever is showing the
games without authorisation.
“We paid $125, 000 for the rights,” he said. “It
would have been easier for us to tap the games from DStv but we wouldn’t
because we know the implications of doing so.
“It is time people knew that rights exist and they should be respected.
“Unfortunately, our media houses continue to work
this way, infringing on copyrights and intellectual property, and the
regulator Rura is not helping matters. This will set a precedent because
whoever continues to show the games will face fines. We are recording
everything.”
To date, RBA said it only left RTV on the
StarTimes menu after removing the channels that were showing the games
because most Rwandans own the Chinese firm’s decoders.
Mr Asiimwe said that, before the World Cup, he
asked the private media houses to help cover part of the cost of the
rights but they refused.
Killing people’s businesses
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