No law in Ghana bars us from showing porn - Ice TV Management

General Manager of Ice TV, Samuel Owusu Asare says the channel will not kowtow to the petition presented to the National Media Commission (NMC) and Information Ministry by two renowned journalists and stop showing pornography films on their channels.

Speaking to Agyemang Prempeh on GH Entertainment on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, the Manager said, he cannot set aside his business plan and serve the interest of the two aggrieved journalists who are not happy about their content. He quizzed how many Ghanaians have complained that they disliked the content on the television station and what study they two conducted to reach their decision to petition the NMC.

‘’I have insisted that until the NMC gives us a directive on what to do, we will not base on a mere report and stop showing the content,’’ he told Agyemang Prempeh the host when he was asked whether they will continue showing the programme.

He confirmed receipt of a letter from the NMC to Ice TV to respond to the petition from the two journalists. According to him, there is no law that prevents them from airing the porn rather there is a guideline for TV channels to follow through, however, they [Management] cannot hang their necks with the guidelines.

When asked why they show the porn, he said, they have undertaken a business feasibility studies and from what they have gathered, showing the porn is highly patronised by viewers. He stressed, ‘’to stop or not to stop airing the porn will be premised on our laws.

If the law which I am not above or my TV station and lawyer are not above it, bares me from doing what I am doing, I will stop it. But if we are going to use guidelines to ask me to stop doing that, then I am not ready to stop.’’ ‘’I want to emphasise that I have not decided to be adamant or stubborn but we want the right thing to be done.’’

He also admonished the petitioners not to use the means to discredit their work and rather focus on what rather can boost local content in the country.

He wondered why the petitioners have refused to focus on other important issues affecting the industry and rather using Ice TV to gain a mileage.

Two broadcasters, Tommy-Annan Forson and James Kwasi Oberko, have made a complaint against three television stations in Ghana for showing films with pornographic scenes on their channels.

The two, on Monday, 12th June, 2017, presented their complaint to the National Media Commission and the Ministry of Information against TV XYZ, Ice TV and Thunder TV, for showing these films to their audience.

But according to Mr. Asare, he respects the two however, their action is in bad taste.