Minister for Communications, Sam George, has disclosed that 58 out of 64 radio stations previously closed down by the National Communications Authority (NCA) have taken steps to regularise their operations.
Speaking during the government’s Accountability Series on Friday, August 1, the minister noted that although 210 stations were found to have breached NCA regulations, only 64 were shut down initially. Of these, six stations have yet to reach out to the NCA.
“Let me say that, of the 64 radio stations, 58 of them have written to the NCA and started the process of regularising their paperwork,” he stated.
The clampdown on the defaulting media outlets prompted an intervention from President John Mahama, who requested that the Ministry grant an amnesty to affected stations to rectify their documentation.
Following the president’s directive, a three-month amnesty was granted to give the defaulters a final opportunity to comply.
However, the minister issued a strong warning to the remaining stations that have not made any move to correct their status. “For all those who have failed to take any step, there will be no public announcement on it; simply, there will be an enforcement in order to protect the public resource,” he cautioned.
He added that the sensitisation effort involving the first batch of 68 stations should have encouraged others to act. “We expect that the public sensitisation with the first batch of the 68 would have compelled others to take steps to rectify their anomaly,” he remarked.
