WBS TV (Wavah Broadcasting services) station will cease broadcasting today Wednesday, December 14, 2016 after 19 years on air.
The closure of WBS TV was announced by Kabiito Karamagi who had been appointed by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to act as receiver while the tax body tried to recover seven billion shillings of tax debt WBS owes.
Karamagi made the announcement on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. In the announcement, Karamagi also revealed that WBS TV assets had been sold off to a respectable regional outfit.
WBS TV was owned by Ugandan businessman Gordon Wavamuno. It first came on air in October 1997. It defined itself as, “a pioneer, privately owned, free-to-air TV Station in Uganda that also broadcasts through satellite on DSTV, GOTV, Star Times to East, Central and parts of Western Africa.”
WBS TV aimed to, “predominantly medium income to low income earners (Classes B, C, C2, D, and E). The social setting includes adults, youth, teenagers and children.” The station broadcast in English and Luganda.
At the height of its popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, WBS TV was one of the most watched TV stations in Uganda. The station had a host of very popular programs like Vvumbula, Emitti Emito by Eseza omutto, Jam Agenda, Late Show with Straka Mwezi.
Among the many popular presenters on WBS TV were Drake Ssekkebba, Colin Sserubiri, Straka Mwezi and many others.
David Tumusiime/URN
