The Board of Directors of Onua TV/FM, owned by the Media General Group, has raised concerns over what it perceives as an attempt by the Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC) to interfere with the editorial independence of their TV and radio stations.
In a letter dated 29th November, 2023, addressed to the Chairman of the NMC, Board Chairman Mr. Kojo Yankah expressed suspicions about the true intentions of the NMC Executive Secretary, emphasizing that such interference poses a significant threat to media freedom in Ghana and must be vehemently resisted.
“We suspect that his real intention is to interfere with the editorial independence of all the stations in the Media General Group. This, we believe, is a major threat to the media in Ghana and must not be allowed to happen,” the Board Chairman noted.
The letter highlighted the constitutional mandate of the NMC to promote and ensure the freedom and independence of the media for mass communication and information. The Board of Onua TV/FM asserted its commitment to taking all necessary steps to prevent the NMC from being utilized to undermine media independence for political or any other purposes.
The Board's communication also served as a complaint to the Chairman of the NMC Board regarding a letter from the NMC Executive Secretary to the Advertisers Association of Ghana, dated 28th November, 2023. The letter notified advertisers that any further steps taken to advertise on Onua TV and Onua FM would be done at their own risk.
Expressing serious concern, the Onua TV/FM Board emphasized that this action by the NMC Executive Secretary was unprecedented and deemed illegal. The Board accused the NMC of taking other illegal steps prior to this incident and had previously responded to those actions in a letter dated 27th November, 2023.
In the letter, the Media General Board conveyed its strong objection to the actions and posture of the NMC Executive Secretary. It urged the NMC to promptly rectify what it termed "missteps" and take immediate steps to address the situation targeting Onua TV and Onua FM.
“The attention of the Board of Media General Ghana (Ltd) has been drawn to a letter from the Executive Secretary of NMC dated 28th November 2023 to the Advertisers Association of Ghana, AAG, in which the NMC Executive Secretary has taken a rather unprecedented step to notify them that any further steps that they are taking to advertise on Onua TV and Onua FM are done at their own risk,” a part of the letter read.
According to the Onua TV/FM Board, it “takes a serious view of this matter. This illegal action follows other illegal steps taken by the NMC which we had responded to earlier. We addressed a copy of our letter dated 27th November 2023 to you and have attached another copy to this letter for ease of reference.”
“The Media General Board takes serious exception to the actions and posture of the Executive Secretary and would ask the NMC to take immediate steps to regularize all the missteps of the Executive Secretary in targeting Onua TV and Onua FM for purposes known to him,” the Board urged.
Meanwhile, the management of Onua TV and Onua FM has filed a suit against the National Media Commission citing harassment by the state institution.
Read the full letter by the management of Media General and the press release by Onua TV/Onua FM below:
GA/DO
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Meanwhile management of Onua TV/Onua FM has sued the NMC for harrasment