The National Media Commission (NMC) has sent a strong warning to fifteen television stations, telling them not to air any programming that is considered unsuitable. The NMC stressed that the stations would face harsh repercussions for their behavior if they did not immediately make amends.
The public filed complaints against these TV stations for airing content that went against media ethics and Ghanaian cultural norms, traditions, and standards. These TV stations included Asomafo TV, Adwenpa TV, Eagle TV, Best TV, Energy TV, Diamond TV, X TV, Asomdwie TV, Funny TV, Advice TV, Big TV, Passion TV, Nkabom TV, Seekers TV, and Elephant TV.
The NMC said in a statement on Thursday that the occurrences that were reported were the outcome of a cooperative effort between the NCA and the NMC to find and fix content-related issues. Out of the 318 occurrences that were recorded, 224 involved money-doubling, 83 involved money rituals, 24 involved fictitious lotteries, 18 involved occult practices, and 13 involved pornography. Fraudulent attempts to extort money and phony lending schemes were the subject of further complaints.
The NMC sternly warned the aforementioned TV stations to stop engaging in the offensive behavior, stressing the serious repercussions of non-compliance. The panel promised to notify the public as soon as it made decisions about the TV stations in question.
In addition, the NMC declared that it would make a ruling on the Onua TV/Radio case shortly. Onua Radio/TV and Captain Smart received a final warning from the NMC about an inflammatory broadcast in a press release dated November 14, 2023.
In a recent broadcast, Captain Smart was accused of calling the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and other Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) “beasts,” thereby making direct insults to them. The NMC called Captain Smart’s broadcast “dangerous” and “unprofessional” for accusing these officers of misappropriation without offering any supporting documentation. Notably, Onua Radio/TV was forewarned by the NMC in December 2022 not to encourage violence against the state, but the station did not take corrective action.
Captain Smart and Onua Radio/TV were granted until November 19, 2023, to:
Retract insults and extend your apology to the commanders and CDS.
Express regret to the people of Ghana for using offensive language.
Put in place steps to improve regulatory compliance and stop the station’s risky activity.
