'Some radio stations struggle to buy prepaid electricity' – GIBA president

President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Abdul Awudu, has described the business environment for media operators in Ghana as very difficult, citing financial challenges facing broadcasters, particularly smaller radio stations in rural communities.

Speaking on Joy News, Awudu said the challenges confronting media organisations went beyond questions of priorities, explaining that many operators were struggling to meet basic operational expenses.

“It’s just that the business environment is very, very difficult for media operators to work. The industry is very stretched, like I said, and it’s very difficult,” he said.

He explained that while established media organisations such as Multimedia and Media General had more organised business structures, smaller stations in rural areas and villages faced serious financial constraints.

“For the smaller ones, look, I have members who sometimes are struggling to even buy prepaid electricity to keep the station running, or buy fuel for their generator. They can go off if there’s no light from the grid because they can’t afford fuel for their generator,” he stated.

Awudu said the financial difficulties should be considered when assessing compliance within the broadcasting industry, arguing that it was not accurate to suggest that broadcasters were simply unwilling to meet their obligations.

“I don’t think broadcasters are just saying that, look, we don’t want to pay. Of course, in every business, you’ll find people who want to cut corners, who want to take advantage of people who want jobs and things like that,” he said.

He, however, called on statutory bodies and relevant organisations to ensure that media operators complied with the laws and established principles, saying those who failed to comply should be dealt with accordingly.