Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)

Type	Terrestrial television and radio broadcast network
Industry	Mass Media
Predecessor	Gold Coast Broadcasting System-31 July 1935 (1935-07-31)
Founded	1 January 1953 (1953-01-01)
Headquarters	Accra , Ghana
Area served	Ghana, 16 regions
Key people	Professor Amin Alhassan (Director General)
Products	Broadcasting, radio, web portals
Services	Television, radio, online
Owner	Government of Ghana
Parent	Government of Ghana
Website	gbcghanaonline.com

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was established by law in 1968 with a triple mandate as a State Broadcaster, Public Service Broadcaster, and a Commercial Broadcaster in Ghana.^[1][2][3][4] Headquartered in the capital city, Accra, GBC is funded by grants, broadcasting television commercials and the levying of a television licence, costing 36 cedis and 60 cedis for one or more TV sets in the same house every year. TV set repairers and sales outlets are to pay an annual sum of between 60 cedis to 240 cedis.^[5][6][7]

History

Established under an act by the British colonial government in 1935, the Gold Coast first operated a broadcasting outlet called Station ZOY, a relay station operated by the BBC.^[8][9][10] It later became the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation after Kwame Nkrumah changed the name Gold Coast to Ghana, upon political independence in 1957.^[11][10][12]

Broadcasting began on 31 July 1935, from a wired relay station opened in Accra. The brain behind the introduction of broadcasting into the country was the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Arnold Hodson.^[13] He was assisted by a British radio engineer, F. A. W. Byron. Gramophone records of martial and light music were relayed, and Hodson spoke the message:

One of the main reasons for introducing the Relay Service is to bring news, entertainment and music into the homes of all and sundry. This will bring to an end the barriers of isolation and ignorance in the path of progress and also to enable the people of Gold Coast to improve on their very rich cultural music.^[13]

In 1965, Kwame Nkrumah inaugurated the television division for black and white screens. Both radio and television became main components of GBC's electronic outlets for information dissemination. In 1996, the Supreme Court settled a key debate in Ghana when its ruling committed the state broadcaster to the equal opportunities doctrine in broadcasting. Thus, the corporation is obliged to be fair and grant equal publicity to all political parties in Ghana.^[14] Over time, it expanded to meet increasing expectations occasioned by population growth. As a result, the station now operates seven television channels and thirty-three radio frequencies which broadcast in twenty-five languages.

Administration

The new broadcasting Service was staffed by eight technicians and housed in a small bungalow on 9th Road near the Ridge Police Station in Accra. Broadcasting first began in four Ghanaian languages, Fanti, Twi, Ga, Ewe, and later Hausa. Part-time staff were engaged to translate and announce the news in these languages until 1943 when full-time staff were appointed. Between 1946 and 1953, the organisation was administered by the Public Relation Department, now the Information Services Department.

The Director-Generals of the GBC were:

Legislation

On the recommendation of a commission set up in 1953, the Gold Coast Broadcasting Service (GCBS) was established and from there it became a department in its own right. On attainment of independence in 1957, the Gold Coast was renamed Ghana and the GCBS became Ghana Broadcasting System (GBS). The legislation that set up GBC as an establishment was National Liberation Council Degree number 226 (NLCD266) of 1968.

Television and radio stations

GBC operates Ghana Television GTV (a channel for events that matter most to Ghanaians), which is broadcast nationwide on analogue terrestrial platform. Additionally, GBC runs four digital networks: GTV Sports+ (24-hour sports channel that provides premium sports programmes),^[15] GBC News (24-hour news and current affairs channel), GTV Life (Religious and cultural channel), and Obonu TV (a channel for the people of Greater Accra and window for the Ga-Dangbe). It has branches or affiliate stations across the regional capitals, partnered with other private and Public Service Broadcasters across the globe, and collaborating with other governments worldwide.^{[16] [17] [18] [19] [20]}

The mandate of GBC requires that it provides services for all segments of the multicultural society, with the cardinal roles being timely information, education and entertainment. It quickly set up the GTV Learning channel to broadcast to school pupils and students forced to stay home as the academic calendar was suspended at onset of the novel Coronavirus pandemic from March 2020.^[21][22] New cards on the table are the plans to establish radio stations in the six newly created regions in Ghana.

Regional FM stations nationwide:

• Uniiq FM
• Volta Star
• Twin City Radio
• Radio Central
• Radio Savannah
• Garden City Radio
• URA Radio
• Radio Upper West
• Sunrise FM
• Obonu FM
• Radio BAR

Training school

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, which is also an agency overseen by the Ministry of Information, runs a training school that provides education in radio and TV broadcasting and engineering.^[23] The training school has two faculties: Broadcast Journalism and Broadcast Technology. The corporation also promotes training and educational programs and is central to fulfilling the GBC's mission to inform, educate and entertain.^[24][25]

Timeline

References

Further reading

• Smith, Victoria Ellen, ed. (2018). Voices of Ghana: literary contributions to the Ghana Broadcasting System 1955-57 (Second ed.). Woodbridge, Suffolk: James Currey. p. 276. ISBN 9781847011930.
• Kittoe., Napoleon Ato (31 July 2021). "The pangs of public service broadcasting". GBC Ghana Online.

External links

• Official site of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation - GBC
• "About the GBC". Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. 25 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.