The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has commended President John Dramani Mahama for his decisive intervention to prevent the closure of 64 radio stations nationwide, a move that was set in motion by the National Communications Authority (NCA) over various regulatory infractions.
The affected stations were cited for offences ranging from failure to renew their frequency authorisations, operating without valid documentation, exceeding approved transmission limits, to non-payment of authorisation fees.
However, President Mahama ordered the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation to work with the NCA to suspend the shutdown, a directive the GJA believes averted a major crisis in Ghana's media landscape.
In a statement issued on Friday, the GJA said the closure of so many radio stations, regardless of the regulatory breaches, would have had severe socio-economic consequences, including mass job losses and the disruption of essential public services delivered by these media outlets. "We agree with the President that shutting down the radio stations may seriously undermine media freedom and freedom of expression," the Association noted.
