Edward Emmy Owacgiu, Managing Director of Juba ECHO TV. (Photo: National Communication Authority/Facebook).

The Managing Director of Juba ECHO Television said a provision in South Sudan Media Law that prohibites the advertisement of alcohol and tobacco on media platforms in preventing the latter from making revenue.

Edward Emmy Owacgiu made the remarks on Friday, March 15, 2024, during the fourth edition of Connect South Sudan, an initiative of the National Communication Authority.

The conference is an opportunity for service providers, regulators, and representatives of consumer interest groups as well as stakeholders to offer feedback on various service deliveries.

Emmy said the South Sudan Media Authority’s regulations drafted in 2018 on broadcasting media, especially on advertisement and sponsorship have prevented the media from doing business with potential sponsors.

“When you look at the Media Authority Regulation 2018, on advertising and sponsorship, it’s written that advertising tobacco, alcohol, and betting is prohibited,” he said.

“You find that these companies who deal in alcohol, for example, East African Brewery Limited and others, are huge sponsors. They give a lot of financing that can move a media house to the next level, but these are strictly prohibited.”

“It becomes very hard for us who need such sponsorship to progress when there are prohibitions on such a crime, so, this is an example of a challenging business environment that I can state.”

Mr. Emmy said the provision should focus on consumer protection rather than prohibiting it.

“How I wish we could say consumer protection because people who are going to prohibit alcohol are the same people who are taking alcohol. Why would you put something on the law to prevent other people from making use of it while other people are taking it?”

He also called for legalization of betting and their advertisement, while urging age restriction for users.

“How about we say such places like betting centres can be opened in the afternoon, and maybe we say 25 years and above are the only people to access such places to protect the young people who were to engage in such businesses because they are minors.”

For his part, the General Manager of Media Compliance at Media Authority argues that the law is prohibiting tobacco and beer because they are harmful products.

“About the ban on advertising tobacco and beer, the law is to protect the lives, the rights and security of the public. You should not be there to make money out of the death, we are there to save lives.”

“Those are harmful products, and promoting them is more dangerous than those who have manufactured them. So, those are not allowed in the interest of the nation.”

“If the media is there to promote harmful products, then that is dangerous media and by law, it should not be allowed to exist.”