Sam George threatens to shut down political, religious affiliated media houses if...

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George has said he would shut down all politically and religiously affiliated media houses if he had his way, arguing that Ghana’s broadcasting landscape has become excessively crowded.

He questioned why a country with an estimated population of 35 million should have nearly 700 radio stations and 120 television stations, describing the situation as “media tyranny” rather than media freedom.

Speaking at a public forum organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the minister raised concerns about the ownership of broadcast stations by religious organisations and political interests.

He alleged that some religious bodies were using proxy companies to obtain broadcast licences, despite legal restrictions on religious organisations owning broadcasting houses.

According to him, the companies applying for licences are registered businesses, making it difficult for the National Communications Authority (NCA) to establish whether they are acting on behalf of churches, mosques or other religious bodies.

“We have a law that says that religious bodies should not own broadcast houses, but we all know that they own it, because they use pseudo entities to apply to the National Communications Authority,” he said.

Mr George questioned why political broadcasting should be permitted if religious broadcasting was considered inappropriate under the existing legal framework.

“If you leave me, I will shut down every political and religiously affiliated media house so that we have a clean slate in this country,” he stated.

Minister Discloses Plans To Shut Down 268 Media Houses

Mr George said that after assuming office, he met with the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, and presented him with details of 268 media houses he believed had committed regulatory infractions.

He said the two spent nearly three hours reviewing the alleged violations, one after another, and discussing why the affected stations needed to be shut down.

The minister said he assured Mr Braimah that the closures would not happen all at once but would instead be carried out in phases.

He subsequently announced the closure of 64 media houses, but said the decision faced opposition shortly after it was made public.

According to him, the President of the Ghana journalists association (GJA) approached the President to protest the shutdown, warning that the action could damage Ghana’s reputation because the President himself was a former media practitioner.

The minister said the intervention led to a request from the President to grant the affected media houses an amnesty.

He described the circumstances surrounding the decision as public record and said he was explaining the reason for the amnesty at the forum.

Minister Questions Media Industry’s Role In Regulatory Reforms

Mr George expressed concern that some journalists and media industry representatives who should support efforts to address regulatory breaches were instead opposing the measures.

“If you are trying to fix the problem, and it is the same journalist in your representation that is fighting those who are trying to fix the problem, you’re fighting yourself,” he said.

His comments raise questions about how the government intends to enforce broadcasting regulations while protecting media freedom and the independence of the media.

The minister’s position also brings renewed attention to the balance between regulating the broadcasting sector and preventing regulatory powers from being used to suppress political criticism or restrict legitimate media operations.