GBC not only committed to govt – Professor Alhassan


 The
Director
General
of
the
Ghana
Broadcasting
Corporation
(GBC),
Professor
Amin
Alhassan,
has
dispel
the
misconception
that
the
GBC
is
only
committed
to
the
government
of
the
day.


According
to
him,
the
National
Media
Commission
has
since
1992
created
several
safeguards
policies
and
that
insulate
GBC
from
polit­ical
interference
from
any
govern­ment
that
is
in
power.


“GBC
is
therefore
obliged
to
demonstrate
its
neutrality
in
all
political
matters
as
such
does
not
take
instructions
from
government
or
the
opposition
political
parties,”
he
added.


Prof.
Alhassan
made
these
remarks
at
the
launch
of
GBC’s
political
Broadcast
Guidelines
for
election
2024.


Under
the
guidelines,
the
GBC
shall
give
the
political
and
candi­dates
fair
and
equal
equitable
op­portunity
to
inform
and
educate
the
public
about
their
programmes.


Additionally,
it
will
offer
the
public
the
best
possible
opportunity
to
make
informed
decisions
about
the
political
parties
and
candidates
towards
strengthening
democratic
culture
in
the
country.


The
policy
documents
shall
apply
to
political
Broadcasts
or
election
at
all
its
network
nationwide
during
campaign
activities
when
the
elec­tion
year
opens,
explaining
that
the
state
entity
would
use
its
editorial
discretion
to
cover
for
news
and
programmes
that
are
honest,
ac­


 curate
and
fair
as
well
as
distinguish
between
opinion
and
facts
in
its
coverage
of
such
events.


To
ensure
neutrality,
it
shall
make
available
to
all
registered
political
par­ties
advertising
space
rates
without
favour
in
order
to
avoid
public
per­ception
of
impartiality
while
the
rates
terms
and
condition
for
advertising
and
transmission
facilities
shall
be
the
same
for
all
political
parties.


The
Political
Broadcast
Complaints
and
Monitoring
Committee
shall
pe­riodically
meet
to
vet
advertisements
candidates
and
their
support
groups
to
ensure
that
the
contents
are
in
line
with
GBC’s
broadcasting
rules.


Official
languages
to
be
used
at
the
headquarters
include
Ga
Dangme,
Nze


Ma,
Dagbani,
Hausa,
Ewe,
Akan,
English
and
Guan
while
the
sever­al
languages
would
be
used
in
the
Regions.


Prof.
Alhassan
observed
that
the
ruling
government
usually
had
more
time
just
because
it
played
a
dual
role
of
government
business
and
at
the
same
time
campaigning
for
political
power
this
should
not
mean
“GBC
is
in
bed
with
the
government,
such
comments
are
demoralising
as
the
entity
cannot
do
anything
about
it,
they
are
a
exhibiting
marks
of
inno­cence
or
incompetence.”


He
appealed
to
the
political
parties
to
channel
all
complainants
to
his
office
for
redress.


The
Chair
of
the
National
Media
Commission,
Yaw
Boadu
Ayeboafo,
said
the
current
tagging
of
GBC
was
unfortunate
because
as
a
nation
we
had
failed
to
distinguish
between
what
was
political
in
nature.


Ghana,
he
explained,
was
the
only
country
we
had
political
parties
that
must
endeavour
to
carry
out
their
activities
responsibly,
because,
“what
will
they
gain
in
destroying
others?”
he
asked.


“GBCs
obligation
is
not
to
one
person
of
the
entire
country
because
it’s
the
states
obligation
to
provide
the
GBC
with
equipment
instead
of
establishing
new
stations.”


Mr
Ayeboafo
further
charged
po­litical
parties
to
be
mindful
of
their
language
in
order
not
to
plunge
the
country
into
chaos.