NMC stops Communications Ministry’s directive to limit GBC channels

The National Media Commission (NMC), has prevented the Ministry of Communications from limiting the channels of GBC and Crystal TV on Ghana’s Digital Terrestrial Television platform.

According to the NMC, the directive usurps its mandate, hence cannot be approved.

The NMC explained that the directive breaches provisions of the country’s constitution if it is allowed.

The Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful in a letter on June 26, directed GBC to reduce its channels from six to three.

In a separate letter, she also ordered Crystal TV to limit its three channels on the DTT platform.

The Minister gave both media houses 60 days to comply with the directive.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful defended the order saying that it has become unsustainable for government to be covering the cost of GBC’s channels on the National Digital Terrestrial Television platform.

Unhappy with the directive, both media houses petitioned the National Media Commission to intervene.

In its ruling to overturn the Communications Ministry’s order, the National Media Commission explained that it has the mandate to protect the state-owned media from any political interference.

The NMC further noted that any action by any entity which culminates into limiting or depriving the media of the use of public resources, legitimately allocated to them undermines their capacity to serve the nation as anticipated by the Constitution.

It gave the assurance that it will perform its “constitutionally-mandated guardian role” with high sense of dedication, alertness and patriotism.

-GBC