Halt directive for GBC to limit TV channels – Akufo-Addo to Ursula Owusu

The President, Nana Addo Dankwarh Akufo-Addo has directed the Minister for Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to halt her directive to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to reduce its channels from six to three on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.

According to the President, the government is putting the move on hold because it has become important for them to consult with “stakeholders.”

“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, 23rd July 2020, directed the Minister for Communications, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, MP, to suspend the implementation of the directives given to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), in connection with the reduction of GBC’s channels on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.”

This was contained in a statement from the Communications Directorate of the Jubilee House.

A day before this directive by the President, the National Media Commission (NMC) forbade the Ministry of Communications from going ahead to limit the channels of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and Crystal TV on the DTT platform.

The NMC did this after it received a petition from GBC on the matter.

In a statement, signed by NMC’s Chairman, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, said the Ministry’s actions usurp its mandate, and as such it cannot allow its decision to stand.

 “It is the view of the Commission that any action by any entity which culminates into limiting or depriving the media of the use of public resources, legitimately allocated to them undermines their capacity to serve the nation as anticipated by the Constitution.”

In furtherance, the NMC pointed out that, the directive, if approved, will breach some portions of the country’s Constitution if it is allowed.

“The Commission wishes to state clearly that the directive given to GBC and Crystal TV by the Minister for Communications purports to usurp the constitutional mandate and authority of the National Media Commission and same cannot be obliged under our current constitutional dispensation.”

In the ruling of the NMC which vetoed the Communications Ministry’s order, the Commission made it explicit that, it has the mandate to protect the state-owned media from any political interference. This responsibility, according to the NMC entreats it to protect the Board, Management and staff of GBC from any such interference.

It further assured that it will perform its “constitutionally-mandated guardian role with a high sense of dedication, alertness and patriotism.”

Background

The Minister for Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful in a June 26 letter directed GBC to reduce its channels from six to three.

She, in a separate letter, ordered Crystal TV to also limit its three channels on the DTT platform.

The Minister gave both media houses 60 days to comply with the directive.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful defended the order, noting that it had become unsustainable for the government to be covering the cost of GBC’s channels on the National Digital Terrestrial Television platform.

Unhappy with the directive, both media houses petitioned the National Media Commission to intervene.