Accra, Sept. 7, GNA - A seven-member technical committee to review existing laws on broadcasting in Ghana, as well as the draft broadcasting bill, was inaugurated in Accra on Tuesday. The bill which is expected to be placed before Parliament early next year, would among other things regulate broadcasting operations in Ghana. Mr John Tia Akologu, Minister of Information, inaugurating the committee, said the liberalisation of the airwaves, even though good, had also led to some abuses including the use of open verbal attacks on the integrity of certain individuals and even institutions. "Some use the media to incite a section of the society against the other," he said and noted that there was the need for further strengthening of the broadcasting laws. The committee which has three months to complete its work had only two of the members present, and Mr Akologu explained that it had been difficult to assemble all the members, hence the delay in the inauguration. He advised the committee members to critically consider the issue of public versus commercial broadcasting with respect to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Decree 1968. Mr Haruna Iddrissu, Minister of Communications, explained that the broadcasting bill was important with respect to the programming of some media houses and said the bill was not targeted at content. "We need to stress that government would not interfere with media independence," he said and added that government was rather concerned with the need for the public or the ordinary Ghanaian to have the power to assess the media. Members of the committee are: Professor Linus Abraham, Acting Rector of National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Mr Berifi Appenteng, a Media Consultant, Mrs Estelle Appiah, Representative of the Attorney General's Department, and Mr Breda Atta-Quayson of Daily Graphic. The rest are Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Economist and Media Critic, Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa and Professor Quarmyne, Executive Chairman, Ada Community Radio. 7 Sept. 10
