By The Citizen Reporter

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Dar es Salaam,

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has reduced Wasafi  TV ban from six months period and now the station will start broadcasting on February 28.

A statement issued on Thursday, February 4, 2021 by TCRA’s Director General James Kilaba has given three conditions to Wasafi Tv including continuing to serve the ban until the date mentioned.

"Wasafi Tv will continue to serve the suspension until February 28, it is also directed to comply with the terms of the license to provide paid for content services and if Wasafi fails, rejects or defies this decision, further legal and regulatory action will be taken against the station, ”he explained.

Engineer Kilaba said that following the decision to shut down Wasafi Tv, on January 21, the station submitted an application to TCRA with more illustrations requesting a review of the organ’s decision and on January 28 2021 Wasafi went to TCRA for another hearing.
He said Wasafi presented new evidence to show that if the evidence had been presented earlier in the hearing, TCRA would not have imposed a six-month ban.

However, he said Wasafi Tv admitted to have aired a live broadcast something that contravened the terms of their license, in which it asked TCRA to reconsider its decision and reduce the penalty.

"After listening to Wasafi Tv's presentation, TCRA has reconsidered its decision of January 5 2021 based on the evidence presented as well as the action taken by Wasafi Tv after the offense was committed and therefore TCRA has reduced the penalty," said Engineer Kilaba.

On January 5, 2021 TCRA slapped Wasafi TV with a six-month ban for violating the rules of electronic and postal communications (Radio and television broadcasting content) 2018.