Publish full list of authorised stations and their current status — MFWA urges NCA

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has urged the National Communications Authority (NCA) to publish the full list of authorised radio stations in Ghana and their current operational status.

It said such transparency will promote openness, accountability, and trust in the regulatory process following recent closures of some radio stations over authorisation issues.

“For avoidance of doubt, best practices must be followed in the application of sanctions on defaulting stations,” the MFWA said in a statement issued on June 12.

“To promote openness, transparency, accountability, and trust in the process, the full list of authorised stations and their current status should be made public. The audit report should also be released to help the public understand the specific infractions attributed to each of the defaulting stations.”

It added that not all infractions may warrant the same degree of sanction and recommended that the NCA work with affected stations to develop clear and reasonable compliance timelines instead of resorting to abrupt closures.

The Foundation noted that sudden shutdowns risk denying citizens access to vital information, shrinking civic space, and limiting freedom of expression—concerns it said were rightly echoed by President John Dramani Mahama.

President Mahama, acting under Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution, on Thursday, June 12, directed the NCA to restore the broadcast licenses of 64 affected stations, including pro-New Patriotic Party outlets Wontumi FM and Asaase Radio—a move the MFWA described as commendable.

According to the NCA, the affected stations had breached provisions of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) and its regulations (L.I. 1991).