The National Media Commission (NMC) has set a deadline for Media General, the operators of Onua TV/FM, to issue an apology for a broadcast from 2021 that has been deemed inciteful.
The NMC, in a letter dated November 21, 2023, warned of undisclosed consequences if the station failed to comply by November 24.
The letter, obtained by the Ghana News Agency, was directed to the Board Secretary of Onua TV/Onua FM, responding to a letter from the station concerning a petition related to the contentious broadcast in 2021.
During the broadcast, Captain Smart, a prominent on-air personality and host of the Onua Maakye show, made remarks considered insulting to the army chief and his commanders.
The NMC, in its earlier letter, accused Captain Smart of calling for an insurrection against the State of Ghana and its institutions, asserting that the conduct crossed the line of robust and critical broadcasting, turning the radio station into a “megaphone of war.”
In the recent letter, George Sarpong, the NMC boss, addressed the station’s response as a “red-herring strategy” to avoid accountability, extending the deadline to Friday, November 24, 2023, after which the NMC may take action without further consultation.
Last week, the NMC issued a “final caution” to Onua FM, demanding retractions and apologies for directly insulting the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and other Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). The NMC instructed the station to apologize to the Ghanaian public for the use of vulgar language and urged management to implement measures to curb the station’s “dangerous behavior.”
The NMC clarified its authority to take appropriate measures, including mediation and settlement, emphasizing that the broadcaster’s actions, inciting mutiny within the Armed Forces, warranted intervention beyond standard complaints settlement procedures.