Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said that the National Communication Authority (NCA) has no control over the programming that is aired on television.
According to the minister, the authority is not responsible for regulating or licencing the content of television stations; rather, they are responsible for spectrums and the authorization to use spectrum.
“The National Communications Authority is only responsible for spectrums and the authorization to use spectrum but in terms of content, they have no say on the kind of content that you air. The National Media Commission (NMC) is responsible for the kind of content on our airwaves and our media”, he said.
During an interview on Citi TV Breakfast show, he emphasized that the National Media Commission (NMC) is the only authority responsible for overseeing the content aired on Ghanaian media platforms as well as, the only authority to grant media houses access to electronic frequencies if the broadcasting bill is passed.
“Now, the draft of the broadcasting bill requires that for somebody to get access to electronic frequencies for media, that media house must serve notice of the content to the National Media Commission which notice of content will then be commented on for the NCA consideration so that you can at least help persons who are looking to get access to media meet a certain level of content criteria before NCA can consider their application and also monitor if that media is going according to the notice served”
This comes in response to the National Media Commission (NMC) warning to some 15 television stations to desist from content not deemed fit for broadcast.
According to the media commission, these television stations will be questioned for their actions if they do not put measures in place to stop airing money rituals and money-doubling content.
The commission said the 15 television stations were reported by the public following a collaboration between it and the National Communications Authority (NCA) to identify and address deficits in broadcast content such as fraudulent lotteries, occult practices, financial scams, ritualistic acts involving money, and explicit sexual materials.
The stations include Asomafo TV, Adwenpa TV, Eagle TV, Best TV, Energy TV, Diamond TV, X TV, Asomdwie TV, Funny TV, Advice TV, Big TV, Passion TV, Nkabom TV, Seekers TV, and Elephant TV.
