As of the second quarter of 2017, authorised television stations in the country reached 117, latest industry figures from the National Communications Authority’s Quarterly Statistical Bulletin on Communications, say.

Eighteen (18) new television stations received authorisations from the NCA during the period.

Out of the 117 authorised TV stations, fifty-one (51) are operational.

Twelve (12) of these 18 newly-authorised TV stations are Digital Terrestrial Free-To-Air Television Programme Channel (National Coverage), four (4) are Digital Terrestrial Free-To-Air Television Programme Channel (Regional Coverage) and two (2) are Satellite Television Broadcasting (Free-To-Air Direct-To-Home Single Channel).

Meanwhile, TV stations have been undergoing a special audit since October to ascertain their conformity to rules and regulations, and to ensure they adhere to professional standards, Communications Minister Ursula Owusu Ekuful, said.

The audit is part of measures to streamline the operations of all companies within the industry; and those that fall short of compliance with regulations will be sanctioned.

Officials of NCA have said that their recent actions against radio stations that have violated their terms of authorisation was not an act of political witch-hunting.

Addressing the press in Parliament, the Communications Minister explained the audit was conducted to ensure that some sanity prevailed in the radio space.

“It will not be limited to only the FM radio stations; there is an ongoing audit of TV stations as well. Thankfully, they are being migrated onto the digital platform; so, any one of those stations which are currently enjoying test transmission, that does not live up to its obligations under the rules and regulations setting it up, will not be migrated onto the platform and would, by so doing, cease operations.

“I think this is the only way we can send a clear signal that we must make our laws work. It is critical to ensure that, as in every other civilised society, the rules and regulations we all agree to – ceding part of our own rights and obligations for the general good – are applied without fear or favour, or malice or ill-will, and dispassionately to everyone who may be caught,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful in an interview.

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has sanctioned a total of 131 radio stations for violating certain aspects of the Electronics Communications Act (2009), Act 775.

The offences included operating without a licence, and operating with an expired licence among others.

The sanctions ranged from fines to the total revocation of licences. Radio XYZ was fined GH¢4,090,000, while Atinka FM was fined GH¢14,800,000.

Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio were fined GH¢61,330,000 and GH¢60,350,000, respectively.

Kapital Radio in Kumasi, which has been in existence for about 20 years, had its licence revoked outright.

The Minister recently used her discretion to waive some of the sanctions.