GBC will make millions if it rents out its DTT infrastructure - Sulemana Braimah

Executive Director of the Media Foundation of West Africa ( MFWA) Sulemana Braimah has argued that financial reasons given for asking the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation(GBC) to shut down three of its channels are untenable, insisting that if GBC had rented out its infrastructure on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform, which is being used for free by private operators, the corporation would make millions each year.

The Ministry of Communications had earlier asked the state broadcaster, GBC, to shut down three of its channels on the DTT platform so as to make space on the platform, arguing among others that the platform is full and there’s the need for some space on it.

But many media watchers, including the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA), have argued that the move seeks to limit the broadcast capacity of GBC for ulterior motives.

The Minister of Communications had argued that since GBC makes no profit for the state, it is only prudent that their use of the channels is limited since government bears the cost of the channels on the DTT platform.

But Mr Braimah has stressed that millions of Cedis would be made by GBC if they were allowed to rent out their infrastructure on the DTT platform to the private operators who use it for free.

“If GBC were to rent its infrastructure the DTT platform is using for free to private operators, GBC would earn Millions each year,” he argued.

Meanwhile workers of GBC have kicked strongly against the move with demonstrations, insisting that the directive seeks to limit their mandate as the state broadcaster as spelt out in the Constitution.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has since directed the sector minister Madam Ursula Owusu-Ekuful rescind the move.