Participants call for broadcasting law

Participants at workshop in Accra on "The Role of Public Service Broadcasting in a Democracy" have called for a broadcasting law for Ghana saying that would help to promote higher professional standards.

They said in a resolution released by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Monday,May 14, 2007, states that such a law should not be viewed as an instrument of restriction but rather as a tool to enhance the performance in the broadcasting industry.

The participants asked for political will on the part of the political establishment to pass that law to clearly specify the public service role, functions and independent source of funding for the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

The workshop was attended by several organisations including the GJA, Media Foundation for West Africa, GBC and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association.

The rest are Ghana Advocacy Steering Committee for a Broadcasting Law, the Trades Union Congress and other media-related organisations.

The resolution said the participants acknowledged the need for restructuring GBC into a true public broadcasting system.

"In such an event, both financial and social accountability will need to be strengthened to guarantee the Corporation's prosperity."

The participants expressed concern about the low state of funding and revenue generation by GBC and called for a licensing scheme and a special public service broadcasting fund under the direction and management of the National Media Commission and established by an Act of Parliament.

Source: GNA