TCRA to suspend Startimes for not airing content for free

TCRA Director General James Kilaba

What you need to know:

In an advert published on Friday July 27, and signed by the TCRA Director General James Kilaba, the authority says tStar Media has failed to comply with the requirements of their broadcasting license that was issued on June 2010.


Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has expressed the intention to suspend Star Media Tanzania limited’s (Startimes) broadcasting licenses.

In an advert published on Friday July 27, and signed by the TCRA Director General James Kilaba, the authority says Star Media has failed to comply with the requirements of their broadcasting license that was issued on June 2010.

Among others, the company was required to provide access to free to air content services licensees as primary obligation.

But the company, according to the regulator had not complied to the obligation of the license and refused to pay fine charged by TCRA for the breach of the law.

“Upon complaints by consumers, in December 2016 and 2017 the authority carried out an investigation and affirmed that Star Media Tanzania was not complying with the obligation,” read part of the TCRA statement.

The regulator statement went further to explain that even after being ordered to stop charging free to air television channels TCRA continued to receive complaints from consumers that the licensee was charging for the free to air channels.

The Authority intends to suspend all the licences issued to Star media Tanzania limited for failure to comply with the orders,” read further the statement.