Director-General of National Communications Authority (NCA), Mr. Joe Anokye has revealed that two Accra based private media outfits; Radio Gold and Radio XYZ, which were shut down on Thursday May 9, 2019, had been operating without valid authorization for 19 years and 3 years respectively.
According to him, the validation for both Radio Gold and Radio XYZ expired in year 2000 and 2016 respectively, as determined by the 2017 FM Broadcasting Audit.
Reports indicate officers from the NCA and armed police officers stormed the two stations on Thursday afternoon to shut them down.
The shut down happened around 2pm on Thursday at a time Radio XYZ in particular had started a live broadcast of a press conference organized and was being addressed by the Council of Elders of the opposition NDC at the party’s headquarters in Accra.
NCA has however explained that it shut down Radio Gold and Radio XYZ because they failed to comply with the ruling of the Electronic Communications Tribunal (ECT) which says that radio stations operating without valid authorizations as determined by the 2017 FM Broadcasting Audit are being shut down with immediate effect as enforcement action in view of the decision of the Electronic Communications Tribunal (ECT).
Addressing the media on Thursday May 9, 2019 evening at the conference room of the Ministry of Information to officially announce its operation for the month of May, the Director-General of NCA disclosed that his outfit has begun an exercise meant to enforce a tribunal ruling against illegal spectrum users.
He added that following the FM Spectrum Audit in 2017, some stations were found to be in default and were fined by the Authority; however, some of the stations in default like Radio Gold and Radio XYZ were not satisfied and preceded to the various courts; Electronic Communications Tribunal (ECT) and the High Court to appeal against the NCA’s decision.
“This resulted in a decision by the ECT in 2018 which reviewed the status of expired FM, Radio Broadcasting Authorizations and which ruled among others that Companies whose authorizations had expired reverted to the same position as a fresh applicant. While some stations shut down following this decision, others did not”, he stated.
He stressed that “to this end, and in line with Regulations 65 (1) of the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011, L.I. 1991, which states that “a person shall not use a radio frequency without authorization from the Authority” the National Communications Authority is enforcing the shutdown of FM radio stations that are operating without authorization”.
He maintained that as ruled by the ECT, submission of renewal application after expiry of authorisation is not a valid application and therefore shall not be considered by the Authority.
“While companies affected by this shut down may submit fresh applications to the Authority if they so wish, these applications shall go through the required procedure for new FM Broadcasting Authorisation and the outcome will be communicated to the applicants”, he indicated.
He therefore informed the general public that entities are only authorised to use frequencies for a specific duration and a period; thus, Frequencies are national assets and not the properties of users as they are not assigned to users in perpetuity.
“The Authority takes this opportunity to encourage all licence and authorisation holders to ensure compliance with the various terms of their licences and authorisations and as well the relevant regulations”.
He mentioned that this exercise which has begun will continue throughout the country to shut down illegal usage of the spectrum till the end of the month May; revealing that only two defaulters [Radio Gold and Radio XYZ] were found in Accra as the Authority heads to other regions to deal with radio and TV stations operating without valid authorization.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Sometimes I wonder the logic of these NDC sympathizers, a radio station has been operating without license for a whole 19 years and you think because there is corruption so they shouldn't be brought to order. If the two radio stations are not corrupt why should they be operating without license.....this is common sense. NDC people please try and grow a little, for all these years so there were no reasonable personality in NDC to advice them to get a valid license for their operations? Moma yendwen wai...tweeeeeew!!!!!!!!!!
@ major Bob kotey. You have said your mind and you are entitled, that alone is enough of democracy been practiced in Ghana. Hypocrisy will destroy you not the gun. For how long have you lived in Ghana? A past president was taged as corrupt, he admitted and said his own party stalwarts accepted and this accounted for his overwhelming if not humiliating defeat. You are peeved and making equalization. Has your station paid for the use of the facility? Pease ***barred word*** and desists from boring our ears
have you asked yourself why we make laws? Let the laws of the land work and Ghana will be the most beautiful country in the whole wide world
Speak for yourself, don’t lump all into your asinine rantings. Why do some people follow blindly and turn around to believe they are wiser than all? You have not paid for the use of a national asset for 19 years and when the law finally catches up to you, that too, wahala? If I was in charge, I would have also charged all the NCA bosses who were in charge when these law breakers were getting away with ***barred word***. We tire some of you, Hana!
NPP is on the wrong path and needs advice. Just recently a journalist has been flown out of the country for death threats because he published behind the scene against the government. Where is the press freedom if indeed our president is truelly a qualified lawyer or otherwise. The truth will eventually come out one day because bad deeds are not hidden forever. If we want to practice democracy then lets tolerate one another. Ghanaians are very much are aware of the massive corruption going which has become a norm. Every government has a positive side but for a president to tag previous administration as corrupt and doing the same shiiit, then a country we have about 100 years to change. we will continue to be ***barred word***/idiiooots until thy kingdom come. we are interested in stealing money and save with overseas banks and when we die the white will take the money. We put on suits at 40 degrees C. My question is are we proper human beings or we are lesser animals than the white guy hence our backward mentality. Always telling lies to survive inspite so called 1000's of fake bishops, evangelist and all the bullshit titles. ARE WE GROWING WISER OR WE ARE GROWING TALLER AS A NATION.