Ho, July 9, GNA- Mr Tenasu Gbedemah, Executive Director of Community Radio Network (CORANET) of Ghana, on Thursday expressed the need for more community radio stations to reach the poor with development issues. He said a large number of the commercially oriented private radio stations, which are based in Accra; Kumasi, Takoradi and Koforidua, are not serving the needs of the rural poor.

Mr Gbedemah was delivering a Paper, at a public forum organised by the Volta Region branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), to mark this year's World Press Freedom Day at Ho.

He said the Ghana Community Radio Network (GNCRC) was facing difficulties in its efforts to correct the lopsided situation. The local theme for the celebration was, "Radio, Prospects and Challenges in Nation Building."

UNESCO, UNDP and Ibis sponsored the celebration.

Mr Gbedemah said community radio stations were needed to inform the rural folk about issues like, poverty reduction initiatives to help them hold their local governing authorities accountable.

He quoted a rural folk in Mali, where the community radio concept has gained grounds, as saying:" The radio helped us solve a real problem... What can we really do without announcements by radio...Now that we have Radio Cesiri, we just pay 500 Francs and everyone gets the news. Now no one can be upset, thank God."

Mr Gbedemah stressed, "We need more rural based community radios in Ghana so that no one can be upset."

Mr Ralph Avornyo, Acting Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), exhorted journalists to observe their code of ethics to lay a strong foundation for winning the trust of the citizenry.

"The reading and viewing public expect journalists to report the truth, even when there is no formal agreement to do so", he stressed. Mr Avornyo said where ethical indiscretions are committed, the credibility of the media suffers.