By Iddi Yire
Accra, July 21, GNA – Professor Amin Alhassan, the Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, that the State Broadcaster now broadcasts in 27 Ghanaian languages.
He reiterated that GBC had not stopped broadcasting in local Ghanaian languages and that in the past the Corporation used to broadcast in six local languages but now the number had increased to 27.
Prof Alhassan made the revelation when he appeared at the public hearing of the PAC in Accra to respond to issues raised in the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report concerning the State Broadcaster.
Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, a Member of PAC and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, informed the Director-General that some complaints he had received was that some programmes organised in Ewe, Dagbani and some notable local languages had been stopped and that they no longer run on the allocated dates.
“And some of my Constituents are worried and they want me to find out from you why it is so?”
Prof Alhassan in his response noted that in the past when the State had Radio Ghana (Radio One) and there were no Regional FM Stations, the local languages were broadcast directly from Accra to whole country.
He noted that GBC now had 18 FM Stations across the country, and that each FM Station broadcasts in a certain local language.
He cited an example that Dagbani, which used to be broadcast by GBC from Accra, has now been broadcast on Radio Savannah in Tamale.
Prof Alhassan said on GTV, they still broadcasted in local languages such as Ewe, Dagbani, and Nzema.
He underscored that GBC had not stopped broadcasting in local Ghanaian Languages.
He said GTV still airs programmes in some local languages and that they used to be at a particular scheduled period; “we’ve moved them to other periods. But they are not shortchanged. The two hours that were used are still what we use.
“So, we have not really stopped local language broadcasting, in fact, that is what we pride ourselves in. We broadcast in 27 Ghanaian languages today.” Prof Alhassan stated.
“GBC used to do only six of them, now we do 27, so we haven’t stopped (broadcasting in local languages). We are doing more local language broadcasting.”
The Director-General was accompanied by Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information.
GNA