The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) will meet the National Communications Authority (NCA) to appeal the sanctions imposed on some FM stations in the country for various breaches.
GIBA in a communiqué copied to citifmonline.com, said it had gathered some evidence in the matter that makes it necessary for the NCA to “properly address the issues of the affected members.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”UD5Gc8kZFN1LFD4P1JqgGQOsrhggy1sA”]“We have interacted with a lot of our members who expressed displeasure over the sanctions meted out to them by the NCA. We have thus collected evidence from some of these members which indicate the need to engage the NCA to properly address the issues of the affected members. The Members have therefore mandated the leadership of GIBA to intervene on their behalf in this matter,” GIBA said.
GIBA added that, it was looking forward to engaging the NCA on behalf of the affected stations over the revocation of their authorizations and imposition of “massive fines and penaltie.”
The NCA last week sanctioned 131 FM stations across the country for various infractions on their authorizations.
While some FM stations were sanctioned for non-payment of monies they owed the NCA, others were sanctioned because they had failed to renew their authorizations yet were operating, thus illegally.
Among the FM stations that were sanctioned were Accra-based Radio Gold, Atlantis Radio, 3-FM, and Radio XYZ.
Radio XYZ has been fined GHc 4,090,000, Atinka FM fined GHc 14,800,000 whiles Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio picked up the heftiest fines with GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60,350,000 respectively.
The affected radio stations that were fined have been given 30-days to pay the fines or risk having their licenses revoked.
But some have indicated that they are unable to pay the fines.
Meanwhile, GIBA has said it is scheduling a meeting with the NCA to discuss the matter and find an amicable solution to it.
“We have written to the NCA requesting for a meeting on Friday, October 6, 2017 to discuss the issues emanating from our preliminary investigations carried out,” it statement said, adding that all affected FM stations are “to submit to the GIBA National Secretariat all relevant documentation in relation to the spectrum/regulatory payments and other complaints,” to make their intervention on the matter easier.
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By: Michael Ogbodu/citifmonline.com/Ghana