UNESCO, media groups push for swift passage of broadcasting bill
Media stakeholders, civil society groups and regulators are urging Parliament to pass Ghana’s broadcasting bill, describing it as necessary to address challenges facing the country’s growing and evolving media sector, especially in community broadcasting.
The call was made at a consultation meeting organised by the UNESCO Accra Office on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The event brought together representatives from the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the National Communications Authority (NCA), as well as legal and academic experts to review the bill and examine its possible impact on broadcasting in Ghana.
The Country Representative and Head of Office for UNESCO in Accra, Mr Edmond Moukala, said the proposed law offers a chance to shape broadcasting in line with the country’s democratic goals.
He said community media provides a space for local voices and helps promote public dialogue.
“Community media reflects local cultures, concerns and aspirations in ways national media often cannot,” Mr Moukala said.
“For rural and underserved communities, it is a source of information, education and civic engagement. But this potential is limited by poor funding, weak infrastructure and unclear regulation.”
The meeting was chaired by Professor Kwame Karikari, who traced efforts to introduce broadcasting legislation back to 1996.
He said various proposals had been submitted under the administrations of Presidents Rawlings, Kufuor, Atta Mills and Mahama, but none had been passed into law.
“The proposed law has survived every administration since Rawlings, yet it remains unpassed,” Professor Karikari said.
“Broadcasting law is not a priority for any government. Media regulation is politically sensitive, and that has contributed to the delay.”
He said the country’s broadcasting space had grown from a single state-owned broadcaster to nearly 600 radio stations, but regulatory systems remained weak. He noted that issues such as frequency allocation, ownership transparency and content regulation had not been properly addressed.
Lawyer and media advocate Mr Samson Lardy Anyenini, who reviewed the 2024 draft at the meeting, proposed amendments to strengthen protections for community media.
He called for automatic tax waivers, clearer rules to guarantee ownership by residents of the communities served, and equal representation of women in station leadership.
Mr Anyenini said earlier versions of the bill had barred politically exposed persons and religious organisations from owning community radio stations, but these restrictions had been removed from the latest draft.
“The 2024 draft bill removes safeguards such as the ban on politically exposed persons owning community stations. That must be reinstated,” he said. He also recommended scrapping restrictions on advertising and providing financial support to help community stations remain operational.
Officials from the NCA admitted that frequency allocation had become increasingly difficult, with most frequencies already assigned.
They said the current rule requiring at least 30 per cent local ownership of broadcast stations was difficult to enforce, as verifying actual ownership structures remained a challenge.
“The only path forward is to strictly enforce regulation,” an NCA official said. “Too many operators are failing to renew their licences or are operating without valid authorisations, causing interference.”
GIBA representatives raised concerns about what they described as unequal treatment of broadcasters, particularly smaller and rural-based stations.
They said many of the 162 stations currently under scrutiny for authorisation issues were being unfairly targeted, while others continued to operate without proper licences.
“We need consistency and clarity,” one broadcaster said. “The system must be fair.”
The meeting also discussed the proposed National Broadcasting Development Fund. Some participants said rules must be put in place to prevent the fund from being diverted to commercial broadcasters instead of supporting community media.
There were also concerns about how the bill defines “community”, with warnings that some commercial entities could exploit the term to gain access to benefits intended for non-commercial, locally run stations. Several speakers called for more airtime to be given to programmes in indigenous languages and content reflecting local realities.
Other matters raised included the influence of political and religious figures on community radio, the lack of coverage of district assembly activities, and the impact of high electricity costs on small broadcasters.
Some participants proposed that district assemblies could offer limited financial assistance to community stations through the District Assemblies Common Fund. They said such support must be regulated to avoid political interference.
By the end of the meeting, participants agreed that the broadcasting bill should address not only administrative regulation but also the practical realities facing media outlets, especially those serving rural and marginalised communities.
“The bill must reflect the realities of Ghana’s media today,” Mr Moukala said. “We count on the experts and the lawmakers to shape a law that responds to the needs of the people.”
