The National Media Commission (NMC) has disclosed that it is initiating processes to suspend the operations of Onua TV and Onua FM, two prominent media outlets, owned by Media General. This decision comes in response to what the NMC characterizes as a pattern of “persistently dangerous broadcast” by these media outlets.
According to information gathered so far, the NMC has communicated with certain institutional partners, regarding the initiation of processes to the suspend the operations of Onua TV and Onua FM.
In a notice to one such institutional partner, the NMC expressed the belief that their intervention, aimed at curbing what they perceive as a threat to national welfare, may have repercussions for the partner’s members and their clients associated with the two stations.
“We believe our intervention to save the nation may have implications for your members and their clients who deal with the two stations. We therefore deem it necessary to inform you of our action to enable you advise the advertising community accordingly.”
“Our action is in line with our Memorandum of Cooperation agreed upon by stakeholders of the media industry including the Advertising Association of Ghana in April 2021 at Alisa Hotel and executed on June 15, 2021. We have attached correspondence relating to the matter for your records,” it added.
Background
The NMC in a statement dated November 14, 2023 issued a final warning to Onua FM, Onua TV and one of the station’s presenters, Captain Smart over the said inciteful broadcast.
The NMC indicated that Onua had carried a broadcast in which Captain Smart directly insulted the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and other Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) by describing them as “beasts.”
Last week, November 24, the NMC in another statement announced that it had extended the final warning after which the commission said it may act without any further reference to Media General, owners of Onua FM and Onua TV.
The extension of the deadline followed a response Onua FM/TV sent to the NMC in a letter dated November 20, 2023.
Captain Smart had claimed that the military officers embezzle monies meant for soldiers on peace keeping operations but offered no evidence to back his claims, the NMC stated.
“This was as dangerous as it was unprofessional,” the commission added.
The commission in its letter made reference to a similar incident in 2022 where in a letter dated December 8, 2022, it drew the attention of Onua TV/FM to the use of the station to promote violence against the state and the management’s lack of capacity to address same.
The NMC said it was of concern that the behaviour persists after attention was drawn to it and the management was not instituting any measures for any internal gatekeeping to help prevent re-occurence.
