SECTOR 2

2.5
Adequate competition legislation/regulation
seeks to prevent media concentration and monopolies.
The broadcasting regulator, the National Communication Authority (NCA),
will issue only one radio or television licence per company. But there are ways
in which this limitation is circumvented. Companies buy existing radio stations
with licences. Multimedia Group Limited, for example, runs seven radio stations,
among them Joy FM, and Multi TV. Other radio companies have affiliate stations
throughout the country. The state-owned Graphic Communications Group is
planning to also go into the radio and television business.
Such conglomerates could be used to consistently transmit a certain ideological
stance to a wide audience, thus controlling the minds of millions of people. The
planned new broadcasting legislation is expected to address this. It is feared
though that unreasonably tight legislation on media concentration could stifle
entrepreneurship in the sector.

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator.

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:

2.9 (2008: 2.5; 2006: 2.0)

2.6
Government promotes a diverse media
landscape with economically viable and independent
media outlets.
There is no active promotion by government of a diverse media landscape in
Ghana, apart from the fact that certain broadcasting equipment and television
transmitters are exempted from import duty.
In general, however, it is regarded as “dangerous” for the government to provide
any form of economic support for media because this could lead to a degree of
dependence on the state.

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2011

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