The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) has revised the broadcasting license of a local radio station after it aired a sermon that was perceived as discriminatory against women.
In the offending sermon, aired live on January 29 on the Amazing Grace Christian Radio station, a local pastor, Nicolas Niyibikora said women are “a source of evil” and “against God’s plan”.
(Photo: Cyril Ndegeya/Nation)
The sermon immediately went viral on social media, rightly angering women’s rights activists across the country and beyond. The National Women’s Association and Rwanda Women Journalists’ Association went on to file separate complaints to the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), the media self-regulatory body.
The radio station, Amazing Grace Christian Radio, was initially suspended for 30 days for the sermon before the revocation of their license, reportedly failed to comply with the sanctions imposed on it, which included making an apology to the public by correcting the aired programme and paying a fine of two million Rwandan francs ($2,331, N1,165,500), according to RURA.
Then a letter was sent to the radio demanding an explanation for non-compliance with the sanctions, but the regulators said that the reasons given in their response were found to be unsatisfactory, leading to the revocation of their license. The station were given two days to completely shut down operations.
Source: konbini.com
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