Prof. Kwame Kairkari
The Eminent Media Persons Group (EMPG) instituted by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to monitor the activities of selected radio stations during Ghana’s general elections last year, has indicated that the radio broadcast industry in the country needs major reforms.
The five-member group of media experts, with support from the Embassy of France and STAR Ghana, it would be recalled, supported MFWA’s engagement with owners and managers of radio stations to help ensure adherence to professional standards in the coverage of the elections.
The EMPG accordingly held separate meetings with 30 radio station owners and managers in the Greater Accra, Northern, Volta and Ashanti Regions ahead of the December 2016 elections.
The meetings, which were held in the respective offices of the radio stations, discussed plans for the coverage of the elections among the radio stations and offered recommendations to the stations, according to MFWA in a post on its website.
The group also discussed with the managers and owners, general challenges faced by the stations and the broadcast industry in general, existence or otherwise of editorial policies, human resource capacity issues, financial challenges and prospects, and sustainability of stations.
“At the end of the media visits, the group held a review meeting to discuss the key issues that came up during the visits, challenges they identified, and recommendations for improving the sector,” the post claimed.
According to MFWA, “Key among the challenges and issues identified by the EMPG however are: generally low professional standards and rising spate of ethical violations; weak capacity in radio management skills among a considerable number of radio station managers; absence of documented editorial policies in many radio stations; absence of human resource policies; absence of business plans among several radio stations; absence of programme development plans; weak capacity of journalists and poor remuneration and delays in the payment of remuneration of journalists.
“Other challenges identified were the high cost of operations; over-reliance on advertising revenues as only means of financial sustainability; weak media economy and consequent financial sustainability challenges especially for radio stations located in deprived areas and limited support from professional associations and regulatory bodies.”
For many of the radio stations visited, MFWA pointed out, “while they were providing coverage on election-related issues, there were no concrete, documented plans for the coverage of the elections.
“In the light of the challenges identified during the visits, the group is calling for major reforms in the country’s broadcast media sector and makes the following 10-point recommendations: There is an urgent need to reform and strengthen the media regulatory frameworks in the country, including the National Media Commission, Ghana Journalists’ Association, Ghana Independent Broadcasters’ Association, among others.
“There is an urgent need for a broadcasting law to streamline and regulate operations in the industry. The processes towards the passage of the Broadcasting Law should, therefore, be expedited; there is a need for a Content Standards Guide for radio stations to enhance professional standards.”
According to MFWA, the National Communications Authority (NCA) should adopt measures that will ensure transparency in the allocation of frequencies.
EMPG is made up of Ms. Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Chairperson of the Editors’ Forum Ghana (EFG); Prof. Amin Alhassan, Dean of the Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences at the University for Development Studies, Tamale; Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC); Dr. Doris Yaa Dartey, member of the NMC and Deputy Chairperson of EFG and Prof. Kwame Karikari, Board Member and former Executive Director of the MFWA.
BY Melvin Tarlue