Time Tycoons Who Own Ghanaian Media Houses Were told Where They Get Off

We have come a long way as a people. Today, ours is a modern, pluralistic and liberal African society, in which the citizenry are free to air their views publicly, on the airwaves of the multiplicity  of radio and television stations across the nation. Ditto in our country's print media. It is important to note that Ghanaian democracy would never have taken root, if at a point in time,  a number of brave and patriotic individuals had not risked life and limb, to fight for freedom of expression in Ghana.

Charles Wireko-Brobbey's bold and pioneering effort to start a radio station in Kumasi is an example. And we must never forget that some of those fearless patriots, such as Tommy Thompson, died in that fight for freedom - at the apogee of the era of the culture of silence. Others, such as the Kabral Blay-Amiheres, the Kwesi Pratts and Kweku Baakos, were incarcerated for daring to speak out against an oppressive military regime that was rumoured to go to the extent of even murdering dissidents - if it felt the need to permanently  eliminate 'troublemakers' that threatened its continued stay in power.

Today, some of those who sought shelter abroad during those dark days - to escape from the toxicity of the miasma that had enveloped society then - have returned home and become wealthy entrepreneurs who count the ownership of media houses amongst their diverse investments.  Lucky souls - reaping where they did not sow: merely because of their wealth.

An example is the Hon. Kennedy Adjapong - who has been allocated what are a public resource - radio frequencies - by the National Communications Authority (NCA), on the tacit understanding that whiles profiting from their utilisation, he will ensure that there is no censorship in the media house he operates as a privately-owned business, and that diverse opinions will be allowed to be aired in scheduled  programmes produced by his radio and television stations.

How then can such a privileged person boldly declare publicly that he will not allow Anas Amereyaw's Tiger Eye Private Investigations' latest film showing its undercover investigation into the murky affairs of the now-dissolved Ghana Football Association (GFA), to be shown on his TV station - and that he will sack any employee of his media company who does so against his wishes - without it causing outrage in the Ghanaian media world? Amazing. The question is: Do journalists in Ghana  not understand that no media owner - no matter how powerful and influential he or she might be in society - has the right to force journalists in his employ to do his or her bidding editorial wise? Ebeeii.

The question we must all ponder over is: Has the time not now come for media professionals in Ghana - who as the fourth branch of government act as watchdogs for society and speak truth to power whiles holding our leaders to account  to ensure transparency in  our system - to make it plain to the owners of media houses that part of the bargain implied in their being allowed to operate radio and television stations in our democracy,  is that at at all material times, ordinary Ghanaians will be allowed to speak their minds freely on their airwaves? In that sense, Hon. Kennedy Adjapong is clearly not a fit and proper person to own and operate any media entity in our country. The time has now come for the lucky tycoons who own Ghanaian media houses to be told exactly where they get off. Surprising though it might be to some of them, actually, they are not a law unto themselves.  Far from it. We rest our case. Haaba.