The Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Prof Amin Alhassan has detailed how in his bid to help the Government regulate media content and deal with “reckless and irresponsible journalism”, alerted “an important regulator” and worked with the National Communications Authority (NCA) to stop journalist Kevin Taylor and his Loud Silence Media from broadcasting to Ghanaians through Direct To Home(DTH) channels.
He revealed how he was alarmed that beyond the internet, Kevin Taylor could broadcast directly to Ghanaian homes through satellite television, and how upon verifying the claim, he promptly swung into action to stop him from reaching the Ghanaian populace through satellite television.
Prof. Alhassan made this known in an address at the launch of the State of the Ghanaian Media Report at the University of Ghana where he took time to explain why it was important to regulate media content in some way and how the country is constrained in its attempt to do so.
“About two years ago up in Tamale after the evening prayers, I engaged the Imam in a chat. And all of a sudden, he told me that oh it was time for Kevin Taylor; I will be running home. I said oh you have Kevin Taylor on your TV. He said yes.”
He continued: “At that time, I could only access Kevin Taylor on the internet; I didn’t know that through DTH, Kevin Taylor was entering Ghanaian homes. I went home, scanned my TV and there it was! Free to my house! I came back to Accra, and scanned, It was there. And I remember sending a text message and a screenshot to a very important regulator. And all he said was “wow!”
“They commissioned the NCA to try and find a way of stopping Kevin Taylor. They tracked him down. Kevin Taylor went to Nigeria and got a satellite company whose? screen space covers Ghana. And currently, he is broadcasting to Ghana. Nowhere! You can’t get him. If you get him in Nigeria, he will move to Senegal…its open season for reckless and irresponsible journalism,” he lamented.
Prof Alhassan explained that after thirty years of democracy and free media, it was important for the Government to implement some sort of media content regulation in tandem with the county’s nation-state values and the increasing ability to weaponize information.
Kevin Taylor and his Loud Silence Media are based in America and broadcast most political content that is most critical of the Government. He has helped expose many instances of corruption, and many scandals of the current administration.
