President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister for Communications, Sam Nartey George, to engage with the National Communications Authority (NCA) to facilitate the restoration of broadcast operations for 62 radio stations recently suspended by the regulator.
The NCA had halted the operations of the affected stations—including Asaase Radio, Happy FM, and Wontumi Radio—citing persistent non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
According to the authority, the suspensions were in accordance with Regulations 54 and 56 of the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011, as well as conditions tied to their FM broadcasting licenses.
However, in a statement issued by the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, President Mahama stressed the importance of balancing regulatory compliance with media freedom.
President Mahama has therefore instructed the Minister to work with the NCA to agree on a reasonable timeframe within which the affected stations can regularize their operations and resume broadcasting.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu said “The President believes that regulatory compliance must take into account the need to uphold and enhance media freedom, and that requiring radio stations to shut down while awaiting the regularization of their authorization could limit the space for expressing such freedoms”.
“The President has asked the Minister to collaborate with the NCA on a reasonable timeframe within which the affected radio stations should regularize their authorization” the statement concluded.
Read below the statement
