Dar es Salaam – The private broadcasting sector in Tanzania is facing an unprecedented economic crisis that has forced several stations to close their doors and triggered a mass exodus of content professionals.
According to Amos Ngosha, chairperson of the National Independent Broadcasters Association (NIBA), the financial health of independent radio and television stations has plummeted compared to pre-2015 levels. The crisis threatens to cut off millions of citizens from crucial development, agricultural, and health information.
NIBA, which was registered in 2023 and represents broadcasting institutions rather than individual owners, estimates that private radio stations reach approximately 65 per cent of the population. With over 250 radio stations spread across the country, these independent outlets often serve rural areas where the state broadcaster, TBC, cannot reach.
However, a recent nationwide assessment paints a grim picture of the sector’s viability.
“In a normal environment, I see this broadcasting industry having gone up very high, but it has reached a point where it has stalled and cannot continue to rise,” Ngosha said during an interview with The Chanzo after visiting more than 127 radio stations across 19 regions. “Everywhere I have passed, I have met with the cry of the economy.”
Voluntarily shutting down
The financial strain has become so severe that some owners are voluntarily shutting down their operations. Ngosha revealed that he encountered more than seven radio stations that had closed themselves, packed up their equipment, and locked it in storage because they could no longer afford to operate.
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Other stations are being sold as owners seek to exit the struggling industry. In some cases, owners, including religious institutions and non-governmental organisations, have simply abandoned their stations, leaving young, inexperienced staff to fend for themselves.
This economic decline has led to a severe brain drain. Qualified content creators and journalists are abandoning the broadcasting sector for other fields or seeking employment as government information officers.
The result is a skeleton staff at many stations. Ngosha noted instances where a station operating 24 hours a day employs only two or three broadcasters, making quality programming impossible.
“You cannot produce good content because many content experts have left this industry to look for other industries that are not theirs,” Ngosha explained. “Because in their industry, there is no income that would allow them to run their daily lives.”
Unpaid government airtime
A significant contributor to the financial crisis is the government’s expectation of free airtime. Despite having dedicated budgets for public education, various government ministries and agencies routinely demand that private broadcasters air their content without payment.
Ngosha highlighted the Police Force as a primary offender, noting that officers visit stations three to four times a week demanding 15 minutes to an hour of free airtime. Other ministries, including Agriculture, Fisheries, Education, and Health, similarly fail to utilise their public education budgets to pay for broadcasting services.
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“I do not want to believe that the government, these police, and other departments that want to do free programmes do not have a budget for public education,” Ngosha said.
This reliance on free services forces broadcasters to depend on seasonal, small-scale advertisers, such as traditional healers and alternative medicine practitioners, whose contributions are insufficient to sustain operations.
Regulatory complexity
The economic challenges are compounded by a complex and expensive regulatory environment. Broadcasters face more than 18 different statutory levies. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) alone charges multiple annual fees, while other state agencies extract levies based on gross revenue rather than profit.
“The income you get is very small compared to the levies you are required to pay per year,” Ngosha stated. “It has caused us to fall economically, and operations become difficult because the income is small and the expenses are high.”
High electricity costs further strain budgets. Despite repeated appeals to the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) for a special tariff for broadcast transmitters, no relief has been granted.
The regulatory burden extends beyond finances. Broadcasters operate under a five-year licence limit, which Ngosha argues is too short to secure bank loans for expansion or equipment upgrades. Furthermore, the renewal process is not guaranteed, making financial institutions hesitant to lend to media owners.
Strict content regulations also stifle revenue generation. Broadcasters face constant scrutiny, warning letters, and fines for perceived content violations. Restrictions on advertising certain services, such as traditional medicine, further limit income streams.
Reforms?
There are signs that the government is beginning to acknowledge these challenges. A recent study conducted by TCRA in collaboration with the global regulatory consulting firm CENERVA found that broadcasters operate under a highly complex regulatory framework that requires compliance with multiple regulations, licences, guidelines, and rules.
Presenting the findings at the Annual Broadcasters Conference in Dodoma on February 12, 2026, TCRA’s Manager for Broadcasting Services, Andrew Kisaka, admitted that the current system needs an overhaul.
“This study is based on the fact that we have been amending regulations since 2018, and there have been very significant changes in the broadcasting sector,” Kisaka said. “Therefore, we saw the need to conduct a holistic study that will produce long-lasting solutions based on thorough research.”
The TCRA study proposes significant changes, including reducing the numerous licence types to just two categories: Facilities Services Licences and Content Services Licences. Crucially for investors, the study recommends extending licence validity from five to ten years and abolishing district-level licences.
The study also suggests that public broadcasters should refrain from commercial advertising and rely primarily on public funding, which could reduce competition for the limited advertising revenue available to private stations.
Cost of inaction
If the economic and regulatory environment does not improve, the consequences for the public will be severe, Mr Ngosha warned in his interview with this publication. Private radio stations are often the only source of timely information for rural communities.
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Without these stations, fishers on the lakes and ocean will lack crucial weather updates, and farmers will miss vital information about rainfall and crop management. During disease outbreaks or natural disasters like floods, the absence of reliable local broadcasting could prove fatal.
“Without having these strong institutions that will be well managed and deliver rich content with professionalism to those listeners who are our citizens, I assure you absolutely that we will be stuck,” Ngosha warned.
As the sector waits for the implementation of TCRA’s proposed reforms, NIBA continues to advocate for immediate relief, including the reduction of levies, the introduction of special electricity tariffs, and a commitment from government agencies to pay for the airtime they consume.
Until these changes materialise, Ngosha concluded, the independent broadcasting sector remains in a precarious position, struggling to survive while attempting to serve the public interest.
