In a move that could potentially shake up Ghana’s broadcasting industry, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has taken the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) and KNet Ghana Limited to court.
At the core of the dispute is the MoCD’s decision to mandate KNet Ghana to provide “Contribution link services” to broadcasters and charge them fees under the same heading.
GIBA, which represents several broadcasters, is arguing that the MoCD is unlawfully allowing KNet Ghana to unilaterally provide these services without any legal basis or Parliamentary approval. They are also contesting KNet Ghana’s authority to disconnect broadcasters from the National DTT Transmissions platform if they don’t pay the fees.
Moreover, GIBA has also challenged the MoCD’s decision to establish and charge arbitrary fees for DTT channel hosting without the approval of Parliament.
These fees are to be paid into a company called CENTRAL DIGITAL TRANSMISSION COMPANY LTD.
President of GIBA, Cecil Sunkwa-Mills, said in a statement, “GIBA has resorted to litigation as a last resort due to the total disregard for the concerns raised by us,” adding that the association has tried to engage with the MoCD multiple times to resolve the issue without success.
The outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching consequences for Ghana’s broadcasting industry, especially if GIBA manages to overturn the MoCD’s decisions. At this stage, it is unclear how long the trial will take or what the implications will be for both broadcasters and viewers.
SOURCE: daily guide network
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