Activities needed over the next few years • • • • • • The National Media Commission (NMC) needs to be strengthened in terms of funding and other support to enable it to set up a monitoring system. The structure of the NMC needs to be reviewed in order to secure greater independence from state authorities. Lobby efforts for broadcasting legislation must be intensified with the objective to make the NMC the sole regulator for broadcasting. Advocacy should be increased for more independence of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) through appropriate legislation. The GBC needs to be strengthened in its capacity to produce more attractive quality programmes. Civil society organisations need to sensitise and educate themselves and others on the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting to enable them to lobby for - speeding up of the process; - appropriate subsidization of set-top boxes to make the digital signals accessible to all citizens. The African Media Barometer Report should be used as a working tool for media and civil society organisations to make its findings more relevant to the development of the media landscape in Ghana. The panel meeting took place at the Volta Hotel, Akosombo, 5 to 7 August 2011. The Panel: Ms Sarah Akrofi-Quarcoo, communications lecturer; Ms Susan Aryeetey, human rights activist; Mr Alhassan Haruna, manager private broadcasting; Mr Ato Kobbie, editor private magazine; Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, women’s rights activist; Ms Cathy Bob Milliar, rural development activist; Mr Affail Monney, editor state broadcasting and media activist; Mr Kingsley Ofei-Nkansah, trade unionist; Mr Kweku Rockson, journalism lecturer; Mr Ransford Tetteh, editor state newspaper and media activist; Mr Francis Tuffour, senior reporter state newspaper The facilitator: Mr Hendrik Bussiek Rapporteur: Ms Beatrix Allah-Mensah AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2011 57