The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has suspended Pastor James Nganga-owned TV station, SASA TV effective December 4, 2021.
The authority cited content violation which was aired on December 3, 2021, by the station during the watershed period.
“The decision was arrived at following investigations of content considered inappropriate aired by SASA TV during the watershed period on 3rd December 2021,” said CA Director General Ezra Chiloba.
The suspension will be effected for a six-month period failure to which the authority would be forced to withdraw the TV’s license.
“Non-adherence to these directives may attract further sanctions including revocation of SASA TV’s license,” added Chiloba.
SASA TV violated provisions of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, Broadcast Regulations, 2009, the Programming Code, and Broadcasting License Conditions.
CK has also authorized the station’s management to ensure all staff undergoes mandatory training on appropriate operations of the Profanity Delay Mechanism system, management of live broadcasts, broadcasting legal framework, consumer protection, and complaints handling.
Nganga’s led-station will also be forced to develop and implement adequate internal controls to ensure compliance with broadcast content standards.
This, however, is not the first time SASA TV has found itself to have violated broadcasting regulations.
On October 29 this year, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) threatened to take action following offensive utterances Nganga made during a live broadcast.
A statement issued by MCK explained the station and pastor were in breach of conduct of rules governing journalism.
“The Council notes that the media house in question breached clauses 5 (b) (c) on accountability and 10 (1) on obscenity, taste, and tone in reporting by allowing a presenter, apostle James Ng’ang’a in a live broadcast from ‘Jerusalem City Kenya’at 1024 hours where he uttered offensive and unprintable words on-air,” chief executive officer of MCK David Omwoyo said.
In one of the videos that were widely shared on social media, Mr Ng’ang’a was captured talking about “when the time comes and he dies, and that there would be conditions on how he would be buried.”
In 2020, the controversial pastor banished one of his congregants for making a ‘stupid’ prayer request.