The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon Sam George, has called for the shutdown of politically and religiously affiliated media houses, arguing that their presence undermines fairness and accountability in Ghana’s media landscape.
Speaking on the need to sanitise the industry, Hon George described Ghana’s media environment as “pure madness”, questioning why a country with a population of about 35 million should have almost 700 radio stations and 120 television stations.
“It is not media freedom. It is media tyranny,” he said, arguing that the growing number of broadcasting stations does not necessarily translate into a healthier media environment.
The minister also raised concerns about religious organisations operating broadcasting stations despite existing laws prohibiting them from owning such facilities.
He alleged that some religious bodies use proxy companies or other registered entities to acquire broadcasting licences from the National Communications Authority (NCA), making it difficult for the regulator to establish the actual ownership of the stations.
“If we say that we should not have religious broadcasts, why should we have political broadcasts?” he questioned, insisting that the same restrictions should apply to political organisations.
“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 added.
The Minister further disclosed that upon assuming office, he identified 268 media houses with various regulatory infractions and presented the findings to the relevant authorities.
He said he initially planned to shut down the affected stations in phases rather than undertaking a mass closure, with 64 media houses forming the first batch.
However, he claimed that the exercise was halted following an intervention by the President after the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) raised concerns about the shutdowns.
According to Hon George, he had intended to address violations of licensing requirements and breaches of professional standards but was asked to grant the affected media houses an amnesty.
He criticised what he described as resistance from some media industry stakeholders towards efforts to enforce regulations, arguing that journalists should support measures aimed at improving standards within the profession.
