Sam George’s roar over directive to GBC sign of premature ejaculation - Ursula

The Minister of Communications Ursula Owusu has taken the Minority Member of Parliament for Ningpo-Prampram Sam George to the cleaners saying his comments following the directive to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to reduce its 6 channels in 60 days, is a sign of premature ejaculation.

The MP had raised concerns over the directive asking what locus the Ministry had in issuing the directive.

He noted that the Ministry of Communications should have completed the migration from analogue to digital to generate enough space before the intended closure of three channels of the state broadcaster.

He said the GBC operates under the Ministry of Information, and any directive on its activities should come from that Ministry and not the Communications Ministry.

He added “when the digital switch is over, there are going to be a lot of white spaces, which will be an additional spectrum for government to use”, and that he said makes the notice coming from the Communications Minister unacceptable.

“The fact remains that the sole multi-channel through which broadcasting can be transmitted in this country, for now, is full, there is absolutely no redundancy on it, for us as a country, it is dangerous to be in this situation.”

“Pending the acquisition of an additional multiplex, which will provide for more capacity on that and it has absolutely nothing to do with the spectrum,

“…it is the multiplex, which has capacity challenges and not spectrum and until we acquire an additional multiplex to provide channels for broadcasting in this country.”

He said the Ministry should have completed the migration from analog to digital in 2017, which he said would have given enough space or spectrum to the Government.

But the Minister reacting top the concerns raised said the NDC MP distorted the facts, explaining further that the channels belonged to Communications Ministry rather than the Ministry of Information.

According to her, she was expecting committee members to ask her for clarity and she would have ”gladly given them the rationale for the steps taken and set their minds at ease that she was working closely with the Minister of Information on this and let them realize that, there is no way we are going to exceed our scope or mandate without being mindful our responsibility. Unfortunately, I hate to say it, but this is another evidence of premature ejaculation.”