Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has intervened in the recent shutdown of 64 radio stations by instructing the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation to work closely with the National Communications Authority (NCA) for the immediate restoration of their broadcasts.
A statement from Government Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, explained that President Mahama recognizes the importance of regulatory compliance but emphasized that it must not come at the cost of restricting media freedom. The President stressed that enforcing shutdowns while awaiting regulatory regularization could unduly limit freedom of expression.
As such, the Minister has been tasked with collaborating with the NCA to establish a practical timeline within which the affected stations can regularize their broadcasting authorisations.
The NCA’s recent enforcement measures followed a frequency audit that revealed several breaches of regulatory standards. These included:
28 stations operating with expired authorisations.
14 stations failing to commence operations within the required two-year window after receiving their licences.
13 stations with unpaid provisional authorisation fees.
7 stations that have paid fees but not yet received final authorisation due to pending regulatory requirements.
The NCA justified its actions under Sections 2(4) of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) and Regulations 54 and 56 of the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 1991), stating that continued non-compliance undermines the integrity of the broadcasting system.
While the NCA has reaffirmed the critical role of radio in national development, it insists that all operators must strictly adhere to the terms of their authorisations.
However, with Mahama’s intervention, a window of reprieve has been opened — giving the affected stations a chance to return to the airwaves and correct their compliance issues within a fair and reasonable framework.
