Onua FM/TV: NMC extends deadline for apology, corrective actions

The National Media Commission has given Onua FM/TV and its parent company Media General up to Friday, November 24, 2023, to apologise for their inciteful broadcast and address other regulatory directives.

The Commission, in a fresh letter to the company dated November 21, 2023, noted that the response by Onua FM/TV to the Commission did not address the matters raised by the Commission in its first final warning letter to them.

The media house had responded to the NMC on November 20, 2023, that the NMC had failed to address the letter to the appropriate entity under the group, namely MG Television Limited, which is the parent company of Onua TV.

But the NMC noted that it has documentation from the National Communications Authority (NCA) to prove that Onua FM/TV is registered under Media General Limited; hence, Media General is the holder of the licence for Onua FM/TV.

The Commission additionally pointed out to Media General that it has the mandate under Article 167(b) of the 1992 Constitution to “take all appropriate measures to ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest journalistic standards in the mass media, including the investigation, mediation, and settlement of complaints made against or by the press or other mass media.”

NMC opined that the non-response by Media General to the main issues raised in the first warning letter is an attempt by the media house to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

NMC also extended the cutoff date for Media General’s response from November 19, 2023, to November 24, 2023, failing which it will act accordingly.

“We consider your letter a red herring strategy to avoid taking responsibility for your actions.”

“Yet we are prepared to extend our deadline to Friday, November 24, 2023, after which we may act without any further reference to you”, the Commission stated in the letter.

Onua TV morning show host, Captain Smart, is reported to have accused officials of the Ghana Armed Forces of hoarding funds disbursed for peacekeeping operations.