Africa’s broadcasting industry must accelerate efforts to develop resilient, locally relevant, and future-ready transmission infrastructure to meet the demands of modern audiences and remain competitive in an increasingly digital media environment.
This was the message delivered by Mr David Winston Agaba, Managing Director of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), during the Broadcasters Convention – East Africa 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya, where industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of broadcasting, media technology, and content distribution across the region.
Addressing delegates, Mr Agaba highlighted the rapidly evolving broadcasting landscape, noting that broadcasters today face a far more complex operating environment than ever before. Beyond simply delivering content, broadcasters must ensure seamless audience access, comply with regulatory requirements, and safeguard critical infrastructure against growing cybersecurity threats.
According to Mr Agaba, availability remains one of the most important performance indicators in modern broadcasting. “In broadcasting, there is no room for downtime,” he emphasised, noting that broadcasters must strive to achieve infrastructure reliability levels of 99.9% uptime or higher to maintain continuous service and audience trust.
Mr Agaba also reflected on the progress made in Africa’s digital migration journey, while cautioning that the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting remains incomplete. Although many countries have successfully implemented digital terrestrial television (DTT) networks, significant challenges continue to affect universal access to broadcast services.
He pointed out that geographical factors, including hills, valleys, and remote rural landscapes, continue to limit signal coverage in many parts of the continent. As a result, numerous communities remain underserved despite substantial investments in digital broadcasting infrastructure.
The UBC Managing Director further highlighted the persistent digital access gap between audiences who can afford subscription television services and those who continue to rely on free-to-air broadcasting as their primary source of information, education, and entertainment.
Mr Agaba stressed that these challenges are not unique to Uganda. Public broadcasters across East Africa—including the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), and Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC)—face similar operational, technological, and infrastructure constraints. He therefore called for stronger regional collaboration among broadcasters, regulators, technology providers, and policymakers to collectively address the sector’s common challenges.
A key theme of his presentation was the urgent need for “African solutions” to African broadcasting challenges. Mr. Agaba argued that the continent must develop transmission models, technologies, and business approaches that reflect local realities rather than relying solely on imported frameworks.
Looking ahead, he urged industry stakeholders to focus on building broadcasting ecosystems that are seamless, affordable, and capable of engaging the next generation of audiences, particularly Gen Z consumers whose media habits are increasingly shaped by digital and on-demand platforms.
His remarks underscored the importance of innovation, infrastructure investment, and cross-border cooperation in ensuring that broadcasting remains accessible, relevant, and sustainable across East Africa and the wider continent.
To see Mr Agaba’s views, click on the video here.
