The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana in a press release last week, announced the shut down of up to forty-nine (49) local TV stations.
According to the release, these television stations were operating without a license, and this was discovered during a monitoring exercise conducted on various Satellite Free-to-Air Television platforms. These channels should not have existed in the first place according to the Communications Act of 2008 so the NCA acted within its mandate but it should have been done earlier.
‘Except as provided by this Act or any other law not inconsistent with this Act, a person shall not operate. a broadcasting system or provide a broadcasting service without a frequency authorization by the Authority’ - Section 2(4) of the Electronic Communications Act 775 of 2008.
The regulatory body has faced pressure from Ghanaians to step up its monitoring activities through the proper regulation of television and radio content following the murder of an 11-year old child allegedly by two teenagers for money rituals. There has been a significant increase in TV ritualists appearing across different channels—some of which are owned by these ritualists, appear among the list of illegally operating stations being shut down.
There is a growing concern that televised content is not properly regulated in the country, this is due to the airing of unsought explicit content without clear viewer discretion, the rise of TV rituals, and poor organization of content mostly due to the non-existence or disregard of EPG schedules which are meant to be set up by the TV stations themselves. In fact, most people think local Ghanaian television stations are boring—too many repeated content, lack of exclusivity and creativity—the NCA should have intervened a long time ago.
The shutdown of these illegally operating stations should be the first step in sanitizing TV content. There are currently consultations being made to revise Ghana's Broadcasting bill and we hope it yields positive results.
List of the 49 Channels
NCA Press Release shutting down 49 TV Stations
According to NCA, here is the list of the 49 Channels being Shut down:
- Dove TV
- NTV
- Thunder TV (Agradaa)
- Power TV
- Maranatha TV
- MTA
- Chief TV
- Kiss TV (satellite)
- Sagani TV
- Ogyaba TV
- Nazareth TV
- CACI TV
- Ahotosour TV
- BOC TV
- OK TV
- Cash TV (satellite)
- Lion TV
- Akwasi Awuah TV
- Eno TV
- Apple TV
- SBN TV
- Agya Kofabae TV
- Next TV
- Face TV (Aflao TV)
- Paradise TV
- SBN International
- Adzipa TV
- Ice1 TV
- Ezra TV
- Truth TV
- Royal Star TV
- Virgin TV
- Days TV
- Serwaa TV
- Iron TV
- JA1 TV
- Abapa TV
- Asempa TV
- BTV
- Kwaku Bonsam TV
- Asomdwie TV
- TV Magic
- Channel 45
- Perfect TV
- Anima TV
- Obour TV Now Elijah TV Plus
- TV Universe
- Apinto TV / Time TV
- Obour TV Plus
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