Minister unaware of Asaase Radio application for Digital TV operation

Kweku Zurek TV/Radio Jul - 15 - 2020 , 15:27

The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful says she is unaware of an application by an Accra-based privately-owned radio station for a space on the National Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.

Speaking today in Parliament, the Minister said she is not aware of any pending application by Asaase Radio for the allocation of a channel on any a platform.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful further disclosed that there was currently a "huge backlog of applications" before the National Communications Authority (NCA).

"The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram makes certain sweeping assertions which can only be from the figment of an over-active imagination. I don't know of any application by Asaase Radio which is pending before the NCA for allocation of channel on any platform. What I am aware of is that there is a huge backlog of applications, spanning from 2017 when we took over so this is not a new occurrence," she said.

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The Minister was reacting to concerns raised by the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Constituency, Mr Samuel Nartey George over a directive for the state broadcaster to reduce to three its six television channels on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful stressed that the directive from her Ministry is an attempt to free-up space on the platform whose scheduled expansion has been held-up by the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainties generated in global supply chains.

She added that at the moment it would be impossible for the state to broadcast urgent communication to citizens because the DTT platform is full.

She said: "Right now if the state has need of broadcasting urgent communication to the public ii does not have any means of doing so. If national security has need of broadcasting urgent communication to the citizens, it has no means of doing so".

Concerns

The MP for Ningo-Prampram had earlier expressed his opposition to the directive, stating that there was no need for a 50% reduction in the reach and scope of GBC's work.

He also suggested that it may be illegal for the Communications Ministry to issue a directive to an agency which was under the Ministry of Information.