Industry analyst Francis Doku has provided crucial clarification regarding television broadcasting regulations following a controversial statement from the National Film Authority (NFA) about license revocation for content piracy.
The travel industry expert took to social media to correct what he described as fundamental misunderstandings about media licensing in Ghana.
Doku’s intervention came after the NFA warned television stations against airing content without permission, suggesting they risked losing their operating licenses. In his detailed response, the media professional outlined three key corrections:
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Television stations operate under authorization from the National Communications Authority (NCA), not licenses
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The NCA grants spectrum licenses to telecommunications companies but provides authorization to broadcasters
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The NFA lacks the legal mandate to issue or revoke broadcasting permissions
“The NFA cannot revoke what it didn’t issue and what doesn’t exist in the first place,” Doku emphasized, while acknowledging the real challenges of content piracy in Ghana’s media landscape.
The clarification highlights ongoing jurisdictional ambiguities in Ghana’s media regulation framework. While the NFA oversees film content classification and distribution, broadcast licensing falls squarely under the NCA’s purview. Industry observers note this isn’t the first time regulatory bodies have appeared to overstep their statutory boundaries regarding media oversight.
Doku suggested alternative anti-piracy measures, including stronger collaboration between the NFA, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), and television stations. His intervention has sparked discussions about the need for clearer public communication from regulatory agencies and better inter-agency coordination to address intellectual property violations without creating unnecessary confusion in the industry.
The incident underscores the complex relationship between content regulation and spectrum authorization in Ghana’s evolving media environment, where multiple agencies sometimes appear to have overlapping or competing mandates. Media law experts stress the importance of regulatory bodies operating strictly within their legislated parameters to maintain industry stability and investor confidence.
