The President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Andrew Danso-Aninkora, says plans by the National Communications Authority to shut down 49 television channels operating without authorization is long overdue.
The National Communications Authority (NCA), in a statement on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, said it intends to shut down some 49 television channels in the country because they were operating without valid licenses, contrary to Section 2 (4) of the Electronic Communications Act 775 of 2008.
Speaking on the ATLANTIC WAVE, Mr. Aninkora indicated that the move by the NCA though late, will help sanitize the media space.
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“It looks to us that when the platform owner has taken his authorization from the NCA, that is where it ends and so they deal with people who are not authorized by NCA but may have registered their companies to operate. And they put them on thinking that once they are registered companies, they have a right to deal with them. That is where we find the disconnect and so if the NCA is now going back, it may look a bit late but I think it is better late than never” he reiterated.
Mr. Aninkora called on the authority to regularize licenses of TV operators, engage them in training on media contents and be given standards to operate going forward.
“I believe that when they have regularized their activities with the NCA, they should give them the opportunity to undergo some kind of training and education especially when it comes to content. The NMC will also come in and give them standards and expect them to work by those standards” he added.
SOURCE: Vera Siripi/ATLFMNEWS
