The National Communications Authority (NCA) has suspended the operations of nine radio stations in Ghana, citing a range of regulatory breaches.
The decision, announced in a statement dated August 12, follows the expiration of a 30-day grace period offered by President John Dramani Mahama to help defaulting stations become compliant.
This move affects three radio stations owned by the Ashanti regional NPP chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi.
Failure to Comply with Regulatory Amnesty
According to the NCA, six of the suspended stations “failed, refused, and neglected to comply” with the amnesty by taking no action at all. The regulator noted that while many non-compliant stations used the grace period to fix their issues, three others failed to address specific, critical violations.
These included operating without valid Certificates of Compliance, using unauthorized Studio-to-Transmitter Link (STL) frequencies, and operating from unapproved transmitter locations, all of which are violations of the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 1991).
List of Affected Radio Stations
The NCA’s statement confirmed the suspension of the following stations:
- Donplus Multimedia Limited (Ho, 105.9)
- Dreams Ghana Media Limited (New Abirem, 104.9)
- Jam Multimedia Limited (Kintampo, 101.3)
- Jewel Group Limited (Duayaw Nkwanta, 102.7)
- Kandai Star Community Radio (Kpandai, 107.3)
- Unique Gateway Communication Limited
- Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited (Accra, 95.9)
- Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited (Kumasi, 101.3)
- Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited (Takoradi, 101.3)
The NCA reiterated its dedication to enforcing broadcasting laws to maintain order and integrity within Ghana’s media landscape. This action underscores the authority’s commitment to monitoring the airwaves and ensuring all broadcasters adhere to relevant laws and licensing conditions.
