GBC risks going off-air over ¢25m debt

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and its many outlets across the country risk going off-air if the company’s indebtedness to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is not paid immediately.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, at a meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday [November 6, 2019] said the GH¢25 million debt owed the ECG by GBC had dire consequence also for National Security Council if not paid promptly.
He said his outfit had already initiated the processes to make GBC a public service broadcaster by setting up a committee to work with the Ministry of Information to look at how to restructure GBC and make it the public service.
He, however, indicated that lack of funding was dragging the process and therefore appealed to President Akufo-Addo to help address the problem.
DTT
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh also expressed concerns about the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) system about to be introduced by the Ministry of Communications.
According to him, the understanding of the commission was that once the DTT is a media facility to be owned by the state, the Commission considered that as a state owned media so the NMC must be involved.
“We have made efforts but it has not been easy getting the Ministry of Communications to appreciate our point of view;” he said and called for support and cooperation because at the heart of the DTT is the question of enhancing the freedom and independence of the media.
– GRAPHIC.com