Communications Minister warns of possible TV signal shutdown over unpaid DTT platform fees
Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has issued a warning that television signals to homes and offices could face shutdown from next year if broadcasters fail to pay for the usage of the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, 11 December 2023, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful emphasized that the government, which has covered the operating costs of the platform, can no longer sustain the financial burden. Despite multiple notices, she noted that some media houses have been reluctant to comply with their payment obligations.
As of now, none of the broadcasters on the DTT platform have paid for its usage, according to the Communications Minister. She clarified, "GIBA is not a broadcaster hosted on this platform. So I don’t know in which capacity they would be acting. They have constituent members who are broadcasters on the DTT platform, but none of them have paid a pesewa to date for being hosted on the platform, so it is not correct any member being hosted on the platform has paid for it."
Expressing concern over the situation, Owusu-Ekuful warned that if payments are not made, there is a real risk of the platform being shut down due to non-payment of operational expenses. Such an outcome could lead to a disruption in TV broadcast signals.
The Communications Minister emphasised, "Government says it cannot continue to pay for it, so if they do not pay for it, unfortunately, we may find ourselves in a situation where we cannot receive TV broadcast signals because the platform will be shut down for non-payment of the operational expenses that it is incurring."
Source: Classfmonline.com
Trending News
Mallam-Kasoa road: Monday rains hold commuters in 9-hour gridlock
12:11Ken Kuranchie ditches NPP to run solo as a parliamentary candidate
12:45AMC: Info Minister-designate concerned with misinformation; advocates media literacy
08:37KATH adds 3 more dialysis machines to treat kidney patients; 12 more coming soon
11:41Abundant evidence of Lithovit's efficacy pre-dated Adu-Ampomah C'ttee report – Witness tells court
11:23We won't take advice from Mahama whose corruption record was unprecedented: Owusu Bempah
06:01Dec polls: Protect journalists in the discharge of their duties – GJA President at AMC
07:19NDC youth activist jabs Bawumia on ‘I was joking’ comment
11:29Dismiss Addai-Mensah as KATH CEO – Group
12:50G6PD: 20% of Ghanaians live with the ‘inherited’ condition, men are most affected – Dr Nunoo
00:01