UCC Orders TV Stations to Stop Split-Screen Ads in News Shows

Kampala — Uganda’s communications regulator has ordered television broadcasters to immediately stop running split-screen advertisements during news and current affairs programmes, ruling that the practice violates national advertising and broadcasting standards.

The directive follows a complaint lodged by AdLegal International Ltd against NBS Television, accusing the station of repeatedly airing adverts alongside editorial content during programmes such as Morning Breeze, NBS Frontline and NBS Eagle.

In a decision delivered on January 27, the Uganda Communications Commission found that split-screen advertising — including so-called “squeeze backs” — is expressly prohibited under the UCC Advertising Standards 2019 when used in news and current affairs programming.

“Any advertising technique that allows the simultaneous presentation of editorial content and commercial information on the same screen falls within the broad meaning of split-screen advertising,” the Commission ruled.

What the regulator decided

The Commission held that:

• News and current affairs programmes must remain free from commercial overlays.

• Split-screen advertising during such programmes breaches both the Advertising Standards 2019 and the Minimum Broadcasting Standards under the Uganda Communications Act.

• NBS Television breached Clause 3.0 of Annex 7 of the Advertising Standards by airing such adverts during news shows.

However, the regulator said it would not impose sanctions on NBS at this stage, noting that the broadcaster appeared to have acted under a mistaken interpretation of the rules and had cooperated during the inquiry.

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Immediate orders to broadcasters

The Commission directed NBS Television to immediately cease the use of split-screen advertising during all news and current affairs programmes.

It warned that failure to comply could result in regulatory sanctions under existing laws.

More significantly, the directive was extended to all television broadcasters in Uganda, with the regulator noting that the practice had become common across the industry.

“All television broadcasters in Uganda are accordingly directed to forthwith align their operations with the findings in this decision,” the Commission said.

Right of appeal

Any party dissatisfied with the ruling has 30 days to appeal the decision, in line with the Uganda Communications Act and related regulations.

The ruling was signed by the Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission and delivered at the regulator’s headquarters in Bugolobi, Kampala.

Why it matters

The decision reinforces the separation between journalism and advertising, particularly in news and public affairs programmes that are expected to serve the public interest.

For viewers, the ruling is expected to reduce advertising clutter during news broadcasts. For broadcasters, it may require changes to advertising formats and revenue models that had increasingly relied on split-screen placements.

The regulator said any future changes to allow such advertising would require a formal review and amendment of the existing standards.