The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has praised President John Dramani Mahama. He intervened to prevent the closure of 64 radio stations across the country. This action was prompted by the National Communications Authority (NCA) due to regulatory issues.
The affected stations faced various offences. These included failing to renew frequency authorisations and operating without valid documentation. Other issues were exceeding approved transmission limits and not paying authorisation fees.
President Mahama directed the Minister of Communications to work with the NCA. He ordered a suspension of the shutdown, which the GJA believes avoided a major crisis in Ghana’s media landscape.
In a statement on Friday, the GJA expressed concerns about potential consequences. They noted that closing so many stations could lead to job losses and disrupt essential public services.
The GJA agreed with President Mahama’s view on media freedom. They stated that shutting down these stations could undermine freedom of expression.
The Association commended President Mahama for balancing regulation and leniency. His actions show a government responsive to media freedom concerns, they said.
They urged affected stations to use this opportunity to fix their regulatory issues. The GJA reaffirmed its stance against illegality while supporting journalistic freedom.
Additionally, they called for better dialogue between the NCA and media stakeholders. This would help ensure that regulations do not hinder information flow.
The GJA also requested that the NCA maintain fairness and transparency in compliance processes. They asked for public accountability by publishing compliance statuses of all radio and TV stations.
This includes details about ownership and licensing timelines. The statement was signed by General Secretary Kofi Yeboah, who emphasized a balanced regulatory environment for press freedom.
