General News of Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Source: Daily Guide

NCA Denies Sabotaging NET 2 TV

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has denied allegations that it has tampered with radio signals of Accra-based private television station, NET2 TV.

According to the authority, “This allegation is unfounded.”

It explained that to interfere with radio signals would require the use of a transmitter, which the NCA does not have and therefore cannot cause interference to any radio signal.

A statement issued by Paarock VanPercy, Director General of NCA, said the Authority has a spectrum monitoring equipment comprising receivers and analyzers.

It explained that “the NCA received a complaint from NET2 TV on Monday, 26th November, 2012, about interference to their transmission in Accra. Our monitoring team was therefore tasked to investigate the complaint.

“A monitoring exercise carried out on November 28, 2012 from the Authority’s Fixed Monitoring Station revealed that there was no interfering signal on NET2 TV’s Channel (Channel 44).”

It further stated that subsequently the Chief Technician of NET2 TV on Thursday, November 29, 2012 was contacted to provide details of the nature and location of the said interference so a joint monitoring exercise could be conducted.

“He indicated that a fault had been observed on NET2 TV’s main exciter which could possibly be the cause of the interference. The NCA Monitoring Team was therefore requested by the said technician to hold off until the installation of a new exciter after which the NCA may conduct a test if the problem still persists.”

The NCA indicated that it does not have the capacity nor interest to interfere with radio signals, adding, “We would like to assure the general public that the Authority would continue to carry out its mandate of regulating the communications space in the best interest of the country.”