Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has clarified that the National Communication Authority (NCA) is not responsible for regulating or licensing the content of television stations.
This comes in response to concerns raised regarding the National Media Commission’s (NMC) issuance of final warnings to twelve television stations for airing offensive content.
The stations, including Asomafo TV, Adwenpa TV, Diamond TV, and others, have been accused of broadcasting fraudulent lotteries, occult practices, financial scams, ritualistic acts involving money, and explicit sexual materials.
This has raised questions about the NMC’s licensing process and its ability to effectively regulate content.
Clarifying the issue on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Oppong Nkrumah emphasized that the NCA’s role is solely focused on spectrum management and authorization, not content regulation.
He explained that the NMC is the sole authority responsible for overseeing the content aired on Ghanaian media platforms.
“The National Communications Authority is only responsible for spectrums and the authorization to use spectrum but in terms of content, they have no say on the kind of content that you air. The National Media Commission (NMC) is responsible for the kind of content on our airwaves and our media.
To ensure compliance with the Ghana Journalistic Standard and the rules of the National Media Commission, the Ofoase Ayirebi MP emphasized that media houses must notify the authorities of the content they intend to produce before being granted access to electronic frequencies.
“Now, the draft of the broadcasting bill requires that for somebody to get access to electronic frequencies for media, that media house must serve notice of the content to the National Media Commission which notice of content will then be commented on for the NCA consideration so that you can at least help persons who are looking to get access to media meet a certain level of content criteria before NCA can consider their application and also monitor if that media is going according to the notice served”.