African communication regulators fashion content policies at steering committee meeting

The National Media Commission (NMC) has hosted the first steering committee meeting of the African Communication Regulatory Authentic Network (ACRAN) with delegates from eight African countries to deliberate on policies to improve content.

Participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Morocco, Niger and Togo met in Accra to also validate the programme of action for the newly elected President of the Network, Mr Kwesi Gyan-Apenteng, who is also the NMC Chairman.

Frequent engagement

Mr Gyan-Apenteng welcomed the delegates to the meeting in Accra yesterday and underscored the need for media regulators to engage frequently to ensure that the aspirations of the public synchronised with the purposes of regulation.

He entreated the delegates to envisage a comprehensive plan for continuous engagement with stakeholders on the continent.

“Given the case with which information is transmitted into our countries from single sources, it is important to begin to harmonise our rules and procedures in order to be able to take advantage of Africa’s huge potential as a single information and communication market,” Mr Gyan-Apenteng stated.

That was a task, he pointed out, ACRAN could engage in with their respective governments and ultimately with the regional and continental bodies.

ACRAN

The NMC chairman expressed optimism that the steering committee meeting would give the network the opportunity to advance the cause of good media regulation in Africa.

The ACRAN came into being at the latter part of 20th century during the wave of democratisation across Africa.

With democratisation came the setting up of firm and equitable rules to guide the liberalisation of the media which should afford opportunities to all citizens to become agents for democracy, economic development and social justice in Africa.

Nearly 20 years after the launch of the organisation, Mr Gyan-Apenteng noted that new challenges had emerged with technological, economic, political and social changes continuing to expand the frontiers of the media regulation.

“Despite our challenges, the regulator in each country and collectively in ACRAN must strive for ever greater legitimacy and relevance through updating our strategies and relying on the democratic will of the people as our guide,” the ACRAN President added.

Digital migration

The Executive Secretary of the NMC, Mr George Sarpong, told journalists that the meeting came at a time Ghana was adopting a digital migration policy.

He said the delegates were expected to bring their countries’ experiences to bear on the meeting by sharing ideas to improve the media landscape in Africa.

The NMC chairman will hold the rotating ACRAN presidency for the next two years.