Rev. Ing. Edmund Y. Fianko, Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), highlighted that the Authority’s mandate goes well beyond regulating basic telecommunications services. In an interview with Moro Awudu on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, marking the NCA’s 30th anniversary, he noted that the NCA also supervises a broad spectrum of radio communications services across multiple sectors. He pointed out that the Authority is responsible for regulating aeronautical radio services, requiring every aircraft registered in Ghana to secure a radio licence.
Similarly, ships registered with Ghana’s call sign and users of two-way radio systems, such as security firms and broadcasters, must also be licensed. Rev. Ing. Fianko further explained that prior to the NCA’s establishment, spectrum management and the national numbering plan were overseen by the Ghana Frequency and Spectrum Allocation Authority.
He noted that the regulation of broadcasting itself became the subject of a major constitutional dispute in the early 1990s. In 1993, a private radio station known as Radio Eye began transmitting in protest against licensing requirements for media operators. The move triggered a legal debate over Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which states that no person should require a licence to operate a mass media outlet. However, the constitution also allows restrictions in the interest of public order, safety and national security.
The station’s operators were arrested and the case went to court. In 1996, the court ruled that although media freedom is protected under the constitution, the radio spectrum remains a public resource that must be regulated.
Rev Ing. Fianko said the ruling paved the way for legislation establishing the NCA. Parliament had initially passed the bill in 1994, but it was not immediately assented to by the president because the broadcasting regulation case was still before the courts. After the court decision, the bill was reintroduced and eventually signed into law in December 1996. By 1997, the NCA had been formally created under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications. At the time, the sector minister was Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.
The authority became fully operational in 1998 when the communications minister was John Dramani Mahama, who also served as the first board chairman of the regulator. More than three decades on, Rev Ing. Fianko said the institution continues to evolve as the communications landscape expands. While licensing has become relatively easier for media organisations, he noted that the rapid growth in broadcasters and media outlets has also intensified competition within the industry.
According to the NCA, the surge in operators has placed pressure on the sector as many organisations compete for limited advertising revenue and audiences. The authority says its role is to maintain order in the communications sector while ensuring fair access to spectrum and balancing the interests of industry players.
Source: Edward Acquah
