By: Kwame Bediako
Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Prof. Amin Alhassan, took a reflective journey through the institution’s significant role in shaping Ghana’s national identity and media landscape as it marks 90 years of broadcasting impact.
Speaking on the journey of GBC, Prof. Alhassan underscored the deep connection the Corporation has forged with Ghanaians over the decades, highlighting its pivotal influence in societal development and unity.
Prof. Alhassan recounted his personal experiences growing up in Tamale, explaining how radio was a central element in his family’s life and a critical source of news and information.
“Before I became an academic, studying media globally, as a child growing up in Tamale, radio was the most important item in my father’s corner,” he said.
He emphasized how GBC’s broadcasts provided crucial news updates from across Ghana and the world, contributing heavily to his own upbringing and eventual career in journalism.
The DG further elaborated on GBC’s unique role in nurturing a sense of “Ghanaianness” among the country’s diverse populations. Despite geographic and ethnic differences, whether near the borders with Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, or Togo it was GBC that consistently reinforced the connection to the national community.
“More than the education system, security agencies, or immigration authorities, it is the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation that has sold the idea that they belong to this emerging community called Ghana,” Prof. Alhassan explained, describing this as foundational to Ghana’s national consciousness.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by GBC, including its manipulation by political actors over the years, Prof. Alhassan pointed to 1992 as a milestone for the broadcaster’s independence.
“The coming into force of the 1992 Constitution and the subsequent Supreme Court judgment made it very clear that GBC must be independent from governmental control,” he said. This shift enabled GBC to develop as a trustworthy, impartial source of news and a professional forum for journalism.
Looking ahead, Prof. Alhassan reaffirmed GBC’s dual mission to both promote national development and hold public officials accountable.
“We are a state broadcaster and must promote government agenda for national development, but we also have the duty to hold duty-bearers accountable for the power they are given and we are doing that so well,” he affirmed , emphasising GBC’s continued commitment to public service as it celebrates its 90th anniversary.
