Some Civil Society Groups including staff of Radio XYZ and Radio Gold have demonstrated in Accra demanding the NCA to open Radio XYZ and Radio Gold or face more demonstrations.
The two pro-opposition radio stations were shut down by the National Communications Authority two weeks ago over what the Authority says, are violations of their licensure agreements.
But the protestors are not convinced and have petitioned the NCA to rescind its decision within a week.
NCA justifies Radio Gold, Radio XYZ closures
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has justified the closures of two pro-NDC FM stations, Radio Gold and Radio XYZ.
The two stations based in Accra, were shutdown yesterday.
They were the only stations in Accra that had their authorizations expired, according to the Director-General of the NCA, Joe Anokye.
He was briefing journalists at the Information Ministry.
Radio Gold and Radio XYZ were taken off air Thursday afternoon, May 9 2019, after personnel of the Ghana Police Service and the National Communications Authority (NCA) stormed their respective premises at Osu and Laterbiorkorshie, both suburbs of Accra.
Mr. Anokye says the closures were part of enforcing the rulings of the Electronic Communications Tribunal. He says Radio Gold’s authorization expired since 2000. For Radio XYZ, he stated that its authorization expired in 2016.
Erasing the notion that Radio Gold and Radio XYZ were closed down because of their affiliations to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Director-General stated that there were other radio stations that would be closed down over the next one month.
He says the NCA would be visiting other regions from Friday, May 10.
Radio Gold was part of media houses that were fined in 2017 for operating with expired spectrums.
The station sued the NCA for the fine and the court ruled that once it was operating with an expired spectrum, its operations was illegal and so the fund should be returned to it.
“You cannot pay a debt because your license has expired,” Mr. Anokye said while making reference to the court’s ruling
Radio XYZ was also fined in 2017 for operating with expired spectrum.
Freedom of expression demonstrators present petition to NCA; demand opening of closed radio stations
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