The Ministry of Communications has granted a 30-day grace period to 64 radio stations affected by recent shutdown orders, following a directive from President John Dramani Mahama.

In a post on Facebook, the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George confirmed that the National Communications Authority (NCA) had complied with the President’s instruction by suspending enforcement actions temporarily.

“The President has asked that the National Communications Authority show clemency to the defaulting media houses. We have complied and issued a 30-day grace period,” the Minister stated.

Temporary reprieve

The decision offers a temporary reprieve to the affected stations, which had been ordered to cease operations over various regulatory breaches.

These included failure to renew expired authorisations, non-payment of fees, delays in setting up stations within the permitted period, and violations of broadcasting conditions under the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) and its accompanying regulations, L.I. 1991.

Despite the temporary relief, the Minister stressed that the original enforcement was legally justified. “Let the facts, however, show that this action was in line with the law and not arbitrary. We would apply the law after the grace period,” the post added.

Affected radio stations

The enforcement exercise, carried out by the NCA earlier in the week, affected several well-known stations, including Happy FM, Asaase Radio and Wontumi FM. In the case of Asaase Radio, its Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko said the delay in renewing the station’s licence occurred between October and December 2024.

The 30-day period is expected to give the affected stations time to address outstanding obligations, including fee payments and technical inspections, to avoid further sanctions.