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Money, political connections determine radio frequency allocation - NMC accuses NCA

By MyJoyOnline
General News Money, political connections determine radio frequency allocation - NMC accuses NCA
NOV 21, 2014 LISTEN

A member of the National Media Commission (NMC) Akoto Ampaw has accused the National Communications Authority (NCA) for allowing money and political connections to influence the allocation of radio frequencies.

Without money and connections, prospective media outlets in need of licenses are “completely ignored”, lawyer Akoto Ampaw told participants at the ongoing National Conference in Accra marking 20 years of media pluralism in Ghana.

Akoto Ampaw
The discussions on Thursday centered on the NMC which is Ghana's media content regulator and the NCA which is concerned with licensing and technical issues.

The two bodies have been in a consistent gridlock over regulatory functions in a media space, noted by industry experts as being largely unregulated.

Although a function of the NCA is to allocate radio frequencies and make a living through the fees it collects from media houses, the NMC Board member lamented “nobody knows the criteria for granting authorization.”

Lawyer Akoto Ampaw accused the NCA of operating an “opaque process” in determining the radio frequencies of prospective radio station owners.

Convener of the conference Charles Wereko-Brobby had on Wednesday noted that while the NMC has important responsibility to ensure ethical standards in the media, it is poorly resourced.

The NMC, he said is housed in an old GIHOC building in Accra while the NCA is properly resourced with a presence in all regional capitals. Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]

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