Government does not control state media -Mahama

Ghana's Communications minister John Mahama on Wednesday told Parliament that the government does not control the state media and that any complaints to that effect should be directed to the National Media Commission (NMC).

"I don't have any control or direction on the editorial matters of the state-owned media and this is in compliance with the constitution."

Mahama was responding to a debate in the House after the Minority had said they only hear the jingles of only one political party from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

The debate was on the adoption of a report on a 48.75 million-Deutsche Mark loan for the GBC to modernise and expand the corporation's television and FM Radio networks.

The loan is being contracted from Rhode and Schwartz Company of Germany. Supporting the motion, Alhaji Malik Yakubu, (NPP-Yendi) said there was the urgent need to modernise GTV to expand its coverage.

He said that it was also necessary that the GBC should be fair in its coverage of political activities and not feature the jingles of only one political party. This drew shouts of "We pay for it; we pay for it; you, too go and pay" from the Majority members.

Mahama commended the GBC for its performance and said "it is even on record that many Minority members of parliament have shared similar sentiments and were happy for having access to, especially, the radio".

He repeated that the government has no intention of divesting the state-owned media, adding that the privatisation of the New Times Corporation and the Graphic Group of Companies had been shelved.

Commodore Steve Obimpeh (rtd), Chairman of the Finance Committee, moving for the adoption of the report, said the loan is to enable the extension of TV coverage and FM radio broadcast by using the satellite distribution system to reach a majority of the population in the 10 regions of the country.

He said that with the satellite system, effective TV and radio transmission would be ensured. This would lend support to distant and health education as well as other programmes.

The new satellite technology would fit into the existing network and enhance standardisation with less maintenance cost and enable the corporation to cope with the digital and computerised broadcast network. All speakers from both the Majority and Minority sides to the debate supported the adoption of the loan report.