Kweku Baako pleads for 'amnesty' for 131 radio stations

Seasoned journalist Kweku Baako Jnr. has pleaded with the National Communications Authority (NCA) to grant amnesty to the 131 radio stations that have been sanctioned by the Authority.

Commenting on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Mr. Baako was of a strong view that the penalty for the radio stations defaulting in renewal and payment of their license fees is outrageous.

He believes should the stations be made to pay up the charges which run into millions of Ghana cedis in the new currency and billions in the old, a lot of them will be “finished”.

“I am from a very purely sentimental point of view appealing to the NCA to grant amnesty”, he said adding that he feels “uncomfortable when the media is touched”.

“I know this is strictly business but it is the kind of business within which free speech operates. It is a delicate balance. If you ask me, I will say let’s give them amnesty, let’s start afresh”.

Also touching on the issue, the Central Regional Chairman of the NDC Allotey Jacobs asked the NCA to negotiate with the media stations to broker a deal to ensure the stations don’t collapse due to the sanctions meted out to them.

He said “the radio stations are at fault. The NCA, itself, people will have to be punished . . . For so many years, it took one person to fight for private radio stations. It took Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey. Yes! I mean history is there and you cannot dispute with that history that he fought for private radio stations and started with his own . . . So, we’ve come a long way”.

The NCA has sanctioned 131 radio stations across the country for committing several offences.

Out of the number, 34 stations have had their licenses revoked for operating illegally while 20 and 24 of them are ordered to pay a fine for failing to pay their renewal fees and submit documentation respectively.