Ursula Owusu Ekuful, the Minister for Communications, in a letter to the Director General for Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), defended the decision to close down three channels belonging to the state broadcaster.
In the letter, she disclosed that the move was to free up space on the DTT platform which she argues is full.
Contrary to her assessment, the management and board of GBC have confided in the National Media Commission for redress of the matter.
In addressing the media, however, the minister explained that she’s acting within her jurisdiction by making such a move which is solely directed at freeing up space and also reducing maintenance of the DTT platform.
“The fact still remains that the sole multi-channel through which broadcasting can be transmitted in this country for now is full to capacity, there is absolutely no redundancy on it, for us as a country it is dangerous to be in this situation”.
“Pending the acquisition of an additional multiplex which will provide for more capacity on that and it has absolutely nothing to do with spectrum…it is the multiplex which has capacity challenges and not spectrum and until such time as we acquire an additional multiplex to provide channels for broadcasting in this country, we have no other means of doing so, and so a responsible ministry in a responsible government has taken the only means available to it at this time is to sit with those who have excess capacity on that multiplex to cede some of it for the security of our own state”.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
She further iterated that the National Media Commission cannot compel the ministry to act otherwise.
Meanwhile, the Minority members on the Communications Committee of Parliament have challenged the authority of the Minister of Communications in writing to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to reduce the number of its channels on the National Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network.
Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Constituency, who is a member of the Committee, said it is not within the remit of Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to order the shutdown of the channels.
In an interaction with journalists in Parliament on Wednesday, Sam George said that GBC is not an agency under the Ministry of Communications to take instructions from the sector minister.
“The GBC is under the Ministry of Information. We would have loved to see a directive from the sector minister”.
Sam Nartey George
The GBC has six channels on the DDT Platform and the Communications Minister is asking the state broadcaster to consolidate their channels to three.
