Money doublers, ritualists and charlatans targeted in NMC crackdown

The Nation Media Commission (NMC) and the National Communications Authority (NCA) have taken robust measures to crack down on money doublers, ritualists, and charlatans infiltrating Ghana’s airwaves.

Officials say it is part of measures to sanities Ghana’s media landscape.

At the heart of this initiative lies the establishment of the Broadcasting Monitoring Center, a specialized unit tasked with regulating offensive media content.

In addition, a toll-free number has been activated, enabling vigilant media consumers to report egregious media content promptly.

Speaking at the event on Tuesday (31 October). the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, lauded the collaborative efforts of the NMC and the NCA in establishing the center.

He commended their efficient use of national resources, emphasizing the importance of striking a balance between regulatory functions and the right to free expression.

“First, I want to congratulate both the NMC and NCA for this collaboration. It is an efficient use of the scarce national resources that we have. In many places, you see an attempt to duplicate but you have collaborated and you’re saving all of us some money and I want to congratulate you for that,” he said.

The decision to combat the broadcast of egregious contents within the media was the outcome of a significant stakeholders’ consultative meeting held in 2021. During this meeting, there was unanimous agreement that regulatory action was imperative, considering the escalating proliferation of dubious individuals on the airwaves.

Also present at the launch were prominent figures in Ghana’s media landscape, including the director general of the NCA, Joe Anokye, chairman of the NMC, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, executive secretary of the NMC, George Sarpong, and president of the Ghana Journalists’ Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour. Representatives from various media umbrella bodies also attended.

On his part, Anokye expressed his delight at the establishment of the state-of-the-art center. He said the outfit, the first of its kind kind in the region will go a long way to help regulators monitor and quickly clamp down on offensive media content which has been on the rise for sometime now.

Source: Asaaseradio.com