Accra, May 5, GNA - The New Times Corporation (NTC) has expressed the desire to venture into commercial printing and look for other opportunities to generate more revenue to improve conditions at the corporation.

Mr Kofi Asuma, Managing Director of New Times Corporation, announced this on Wednesday in a speech read on his behalf to inaugurate the Nine-Member Board of Directors of the Corporation in Accra to serve a two-year term.

Mr Clement Vanderpuije, an Accountant chairs the Board, and other members include Dr Wilberforce Dzisah, Senior Lecturer at Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Ms Helena Asamoah-Hassan, Mr Gerald Ankra, Mr Ebo Hawkson, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusa, Major Albert Don Chebe(Rtd), Mr J. E. Alottey-Pappoe and Mr Kofi Asuma. Mr Asuma said: 93For some time now the corporation has been relying solely on the newspapers to generate revenue but we are at a point where diversification is a must if we have to leave the corporation a better place than we found it."

He said the past Board under the chairmanship of Mr David Newton, Rector of GIJ, worked tirelessly to improve the image of the corporation including the initiation of public forum on national development.

Mr Asuma said other achievements of the former Board were the acquisition of vehicles, beautification of the compound and attempt made to improve the image of the corporation and its brands. He said management and staff were united in the quest for new opportunities where the fortunes of the corporation could be improved and pledged to support the Board to achieve results for the betterment of the corporation.

Mr Vanderpuije assured management and staff of the corporation that the Board would consult the past Board on important issues to ensure that better results would be achieved to push the agenda of the corporation forward.

He said team work was what it takes to develop and that the Board would work collectively with management to share ideas on how to get the corporation to stand firm to execute its national duties. Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, Chairman of National Media Commission (NMC), who inaugurated the Board, advised journalists to guard jealously media freedom so as not to return the country to the days of the 93Culture of Silence".

He said Ghana was blessed with the level of democracy, which was allowing press freedom to flourish and urged the media to give equal representation to all political parties in terms of news coverage to further strengthen the country's democracy. 5 May 11