Ghana Faces Pressure to Pass Broadcasting Bill Now


A renewed push for the long-delayed Ghana Broadcasting Bill gained momentum on June 5, 2025, as UNESCO convened a high-level consultation in Accra, bringing regulators, broadcasters, legal minds, and media reform advocates together to streamline efforts toward its passage. Held at the Alisa Hotel, the meeting placed special emphasis on the future of community broadcasting and its role in amplifying the voices of marginalized groups.

The bill—under discussion for nearly three decades—seeks to harmonize Ghana’s media laws, provide clearer oversight roles for regulators like the National Media Commission (NMC) and the National Communications Authority (NCA), and offer protections for community media practitioners. It is also expected to provide clearer ethical standards and transparency in frequency allocation.

Professor Kwame Karikari, a long-time media freedom advocate, chaired the meeting and reminded participants that the delay in passing the law reflects the political sensitivity surrounding media regulation. “Every administration has had its chance to move this bill forward,” he noted, “but none has dared to prioritize it.”

UNESCO Ghana Director Edmond Koubala emphasized that the bill could change the game for underserved populations. “Community media is not charity—it is a necessity for civic voice and national development,” he said, adding that the bill must embed protections for such outlets against arbitrary closures or political interference.

Participants also reviewed the current draft of the bill—last updated in 2024—with legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini identifying both strengths and needed improvements, particularly around ensuring true community ownership and meaningful access to public resources.




The consensus at the end of the session was clear: time is of the essence. With Ghana’s media space rapidly evolving and vulnerable to both political and technological disruptions, stakeholders insisted on urgent, inclusive action to turn the bill into law—before yet another political cycle sidelines it once again.

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