Ghana’s media regulatory framework outdated – Prof. Amin Alhassan

The Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Professor Amin Alhassan, has revealed that Ghana’s existing media framework is outdated and thus cannot completely cater for the needs of today’s media landscape.

According to him, the current media regulatory framework needs urgent review to reflect current trends as well as meet the fast-growing media landscape.

Professor Alhassan made this revelation whilst contributing to the Joy Change-Speakers Series V on ‘Newsfile’, a current affairs program on an Accra based Joy News Tv channel.

He continued, “So far, our experience suggests that the conditions and the practices so far tell us that the rules of the game need to be redefined. We need to rethink the regulatory architecture we have in force.”

Prof. Amin Alhassan further explained that in the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, only GBC is described as the state broadcaster; however, in recent times, some state institutions, particularly the Ghana Police Service, has acquired frequency to broadcast like a state broadcasting media.

This, he claimed, raises questions about whether this group falls under the state media since it is funded by state resources and operates without recourse to the National Media Commission (NMC).

Professor Alhassan hinted that ever since the Police service was granted a permit to operate broadcast media, many state institutions have also been applying to the National Communications Authority for a license to own a media outlet.

All these and many other things, according to him, make it necessary to review the regulatory framework so that all these developments and current happenings are incorporated.

“Will the conditions placed on the GBC because it is a state broadcaster also be placed on these state entities that are broadcasting?” Professor Alhassan inquired.

“This brings to fall the inadequacies of our systems. Why is the NMC not instrumental in the authorization that is granted to organisations to broadcast?” he lamented.