The president, H.E Nana Akufo Addo has directed the Minister for Communications, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to “suspend the implementation of the directions given to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation”.
In a press release that was dated 23 July, 2020 and signed by the director of communications for the president, Eugene Arhin it stated that the directive was “in connection with the reduction of GBC’s channels on the DTT platform, pending further consultations with stakeholders”.
The Minister for Communications, Madam Ursula Owusu-Ekuful earlier asked the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to reduce its channels from six to three on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.
Both stations refused to follow the directed as GBC in a letter signed by the Director-General of the state broadcaster, Prof. Amin Alhassan to the National Media Commission (NMC) stated that all six channels serve specific purposes, therefore, none can be taken off.
It stated categorically that “unable to respond to the request of the Hon. Minister of Communication.”
The NMC however objected to the move after a petition was presented to them by the GBC.
In a communique signed by the Chairman of the NMC,Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, it contained that “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 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.”
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