DStv Uganda won't show gay content after harsh LGBTQIA+ law.

 

 

• MultiChoice won't be showing any queer content on DStv in Uganda.
• This comes after Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," on Monday.
• "MultiChoice takes into account all laws and regulations under which we are governed and aims to adhere to those set rules in the countries in which we operate," the company said. 

 

MultiChoice won't be showing any queer content on DStv in Uganda after the government passed its anti-gay bill.

On Monday, Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" – laws that now decree a 20-year sentence for "promoting" homosexuality.

In response to a media query asking its view, MultiChoice said it would adhere to Uganda's laws. It means no content that could be considered "promoting" LGBTQIA+ will be shown on DStv in Uganda.

"MultiChoice takes into account all laws and regulations under which we are governed and aims to adhere to those set rules in the countries in which we operate," the company said.

"We are a business that enriches the lives of many people through film and television in our quest to remain Africa's best-loved storyteller."

MultiChoice was asked how it would keep any LGBTQIA+ content away from just Uganda, considering that the satellite transponder covers more countries than just Uganda. The company was also asked if it had already done content interventions, for instance, censorship of certain content in Uganda.

However, MultiChoice declined to answer these questions.

Shifting strategies

What is apparent is that instead of outright censoring LGBTQIA+ content, MultiChoice, over the past number of years, has shifted its programming and content allocation approach in two very specific ways in response to growing anti-gay sentiment in parts of Africa.

Firstly, MultiChoice has shifted the responsibility to international channel providers to package their programming schedules for channels on DStv with content that doesn't feature overt LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.

In June 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery which ran a Pride Month content line-up on its TLC channel in South Africa for instance, self-censored and kept this content away from the TLC channel version running across MultiChoice's other satellite transponders so that it wouldn't air in anti-LGBTQIA+ countries like Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

Warner Bros. Discovery told News24 at the time that it is "aware of the sensitivities in these regions and therefore TLC Pride isn't scheduled to air in these countries".

In October 2015, Discovery Networks International was forced to pull the reality series I Am Jazz about a transgender teen's struggle and life journey from TLC across Africa just before it began broadcast following government censorship in Nigeria that impacted its screening across the entire continent.

In May 2016, NBCUniversal was forced to pull the second season of I Am Cait, a reality show about Caitlyn Jenner from E! in Africa, after complaints and a DStv ban in Nigeria.

In July 2016, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, now Paramount Global, said it would censor an episode of The Loud House on Nickelodeon and won't be broadcasting it on its linear channel on DStv in Africa since it featured animated gay dads.

In June 2017, the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned 7 kids' cartoons for bogus reasons like one character having "a dick for a head" and that another two characters of the same gender went on an (unseen) "implied romantic vacation", ordering MultiChoice Africa to remove The Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold!, Clarence, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Star vs. the Forces of Evil from DStv because of "homosexual themes".

In November 2017, Kenya banned the Disney Channel show Andi Mack because it featured a gay teenager, keeping it off television across Africa, including South Africa.

Secondly, M-Net has also adapted its approach with its self-packaged M-Net, Africa Magic, and Maisha Magic channels set outside South Africa.

M-Net (DStv 101), which has different regionalised channel feeds for South, East, and West Africa, is pro-actively keeping certain content away from DStv subscribers in East and West Africa which are shown in South Africa without any complaints, where the same timeslot on the DStv guide is filled with other shows.

In March this year, eMedia launched Openview Ultra as a pay-TV add-on for its fast-growing Openview free-to-air satellite TV service in South Africa and started with a gay bouquet consisting of the OUTtv and Fuse TV channels at a subscription fee of R75 per month.

source: News24.