General News of Sunday, 21 May 2023

Source: peacefmonline.com

Inappropriate Content: I have no right to shut down any TV or radio station - Information Minister

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has charged the National Media Commission to crack the whip on media stations that contravene media laws and ethics.

The Minister, in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", was asked why his Ministry has allowed some TV stations to show contents like money doubling, ritual money and X-rated programmes among others.

"I, as Minister, what I can do is to make noise about it and raise awareness. But I, as Minister, cannot go and shut down a TV or radio station that their content is bad," he responded.

He explained that it is not his duty to monitor the stations but rather the responsibility of the National Media Commission (NMC), the constitutionally mandated body.

He stressed; "I don't have oversight responsibility over National Media Commission. I don't! It's an independent constitutional body. I have no oversight over it; I can't tell them what they should do. That's what people don't understand, because the moment I do that it means a Minister can dictate to them to shut down a certain station...I very much uphold the freedoms in this industry."

He, however, revealed that he together with the Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful have had meetings with the National Communications Authority (NCA), NMC, National Security, Bank of Ghana and other stakeholders to clamp down on such offenders.

He noted that in order to sanitize the stations, a Media Monitoring Center has been established at NCA but what is left is for the National Media Commission and the NCA to collaborate to utilize the facility.

"We have created the infrastructure. Let's press on them to put it into use," he urged the two regulatory bodies to commence the process of monitoring and evaluating media contents and take punitive action against those whose contents violate the laws and ethics.