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| ‘There will be no further announcements’ – Sam George cautions defaulting radio stations |
The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has stated that there are 210 radio stations across the country that have defaulted on their regulatory breaches
These stations, he says, may face sanctions if they fail to comply, warning that there will be no further cautions. Out of this number, he notes that 64 of them were involved in the first phase of the shutdown carried out by the National Communications Authority (NCA), where the President intervened to grant a 30-day amnesty.
According to him, 58 out of 64 radio stations that were initially earmarked for closure over regulatory breaches have taken steps to regularise their operations following the 30-day amnesty granted by the government.
Addressing the press at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Friday, August 1, 2025, he said the amnesty, granted on the instruction of President John Dramani Mahama, offered non-compliant stations a final opportunity to resolve outstanding issues with the NCA.
He indicated that the said stations had since written to the NCA and initiated the process of updating their documentation and regulatory records.
“We expect that the public education involving the first batch of 64 would have pushed the others to do the right thing,” he noted, disclosing that the remaining stations have not taken any steps yet, stating their non-compliance could make them face imminent enforcement.
“For those who have still not taken any steps, there will be no further announcements. There will simply be enforcement,” he stated.
The clampdown is part of a comprehensive frequency audit launched by the Ministry and executed by the NCA, aimed at recovering public assets and ensuring that Ghana’s broadcast spectrum is used lawfully and responsibly.
Findings from the audit’s initial phase revealed numerous regulatory violations, with tax-related penalties totalling approximately GH¢9.5 million. Some offending stations have already been taken off air for their failure to comply with the law.The Minister emphasised that the exercise is purely regulatory, not political, and meant to restore accountability to the media landscape.
“Frequencies are public property,” he stated. “Those who use them must operate within the law.”
The government maintains that ensuring the lawful use of frequencies is essential to strengthening the integrity of Ghana’s communications sector and protecting the public interest.