Metro TV inaugurates its union Executives

Accra, July 25, GNA - The National Media Commission, (NMC) on Friday expressed concern about "the unfortunate entertainment programmes on the Metropolitan Entertainment Television Company Limited (Metro TV) which does very little to portray and promote the Ghanaian cultural heritage." "There are too many films that portray negative scenes like crime and armed robbery, occultism, fetish and violence, especially against women, which do not promote national development and therefore, should be reviewed", Mr Kofi Asamoah, Member of NMC said in Accra. Speaking at the inauguration of a 10-member local union officers of the Metro TV Communication Workers Union (CWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Accra, Mr Asamaoh said Metro TV should ensure that professionally trained programme staff manned the station so they could produce quality programmes that would be of more benefit to the Ghanaian viewers.

He said it was the Commission's responsibility to promote professionalism in the media since professionalism enhances high journalistic standards. Mr Asamoah, who is also the Deputy Secretary General in-charge of Operations, TUC, said Metro TV has a responsibility to first and foremost run programmes that promoted Ghanaian cultural heritage and "our national values as a measure to promote and enhance development and progress". He however, praised Metro TV for being one of the best television stations in the country and urged management and staff to work even harder to sustain and maintain high standards. He also deplored the poor pay and other service conditions under which journalists and other media workers operate, particularly, those in the private media and called for measures to be put in place to improve upon working conditions to motivate them to efficiently discharge their duties. Mr Anthony Ekow Dadzie, General Secretary, CWU, TUC welcomed Metro TV Union into the CWU and said the union would forge closer links with the management of Metro TV to create a sound and healthy labour environment for effective and efficient productivity and commitment. To that effect, he said the national union and Metro TV had already established a Standing Joint Negotiating Committee (SJNC) to promote the best possible relations and secure the greatest possible means of co-operations between management of the station and the national union. Mr Shawki Fattal, General Manager of Metro TV said management would co-operate with the new union to raise the standards of the station and to seek the welfare of staff. He urged the staff to work hard, be dedicated and adopt a more positive attitude towards their work schedule to help uplift the station. Mr Fattal said: "Metro TV is at a critical stage, the station has gone from unprofessional stage to a professional stage and the inauguration of the workers union would add more impetus to the process of high achievement". Mr Selorm Tey, Chairman of the Union, said the new executives would organise their colleagues to work hard to match with their privileges. He said the union would sit with management and "look at our programmes once again so we could meet and satisfy the true Ghanaian values". Metro TV has about 103 workers and currently covers five capitals in Eastern, Ashanti, Central, Western and Greater Accra regions. It would soon move to the Volta Region by the close of the year.