The National Media Commission (NMC) has cited 44 television (TV) stations for broadcasting unethical, indecent and offensive content.A public announcement by the NMC has directed owners of the 44 stations to meet with the commission on Thursday, October 31, 2024."Owners of the media houses are invited to a discussion with the National Media Commission on the regulatory implications of their broadcast content," the announcement stated.The Executive Secretary of the NMC, George Sarpong, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, disclosed that the television stations were cited because they broadcasted content on pornography, indecency, fake lottery, occultism, money doubling claims, and money rituals.He explained that the 44 stations were found to have broadcasted the impugned content during a regular joint monitoring by the commission and the National Communications Authority (NCA)."We have actively been doing media monitoring.
The 44 stations were found to have broadcasted indecent and offensive content that negatively affect society, and, therefore, have regulatory implications," he said.On what sanctions would be meted out to the 44 stations, Mr Sarpong said the NMC would issue a final warning to them at the October 31 meeting."We are going to have a conversation with them.
For now, we are going to warn them for the final time.
We have given them earlier warnings, and this is going to be the final warning," he said."Moving forward, any station that is not ready to abide by decent content will have itself to blame," he added.When asked if that meant a possible revocation of licences, Mr Sarpong said "everything is on the table".He explained that the action against the 44 television stations was quite different from the regulatory action the commission was undertaking against media houses that allowed their platforms to be used for hateful speeches that brought about divisions by inciting people"This category of offences is different from other offences such as hateful speech.