By Sharon Zoe Williams
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) is calling on Ghanaians to pay their TV license fees, stressing that it is crucial for the state broadcaster to fulfill its mandate of providing quality content that reflects the country’s diversity.
Speaking on Radio Ghana on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, Director General of GBC, Professor Amin Alhassan, emphasized that the TV license fee, which has remained unchanged for years, is essential for the corporation’s survival.
Introduced by the British nearly 100 years ago, the TV license fee is a legal requirement for all Ghanaians who own a television or radio. The fee, which stands at GH₵36 for one TV set annually and GH₵60 for two or more TV sets, has not been revised since its inception, despite the significant depreciation of the cedi’s value over the years.
For commercial and industrial setups like hotels, every single TV set attracts a fee of GH₵36 each. Interestingly, more than 50% of the income collected from the license fee goes into radio broadcasting.
According to Professor Alhassan, a well-resourced GBC would be able to produce high-quality content that meets the expectations of Ghanaians. “A resourced Ghana Broadcasting Corporation will definitely live up to its expectation, to bring you a solid content that you want,” he stated.
He lamented that the corporation’s inability to pay $750,000 to broadcast a recent Ghana match was a clear indication of the challenges it faces due to inadequate funding. In contrast, the total amount realized from the license fee from January to date is less than $30,000.
Professor Alhassan highlighted the benefits of paying the TV license fee, including the production of content that reflects the country’s diversity and ensuring that disadvantaged communities have access to good TV and radio signals. He noted that private broadcasters tend to focus on urban and business centers, leaving rural areas underserved.
GBC currently broadcasts on 7 television channels and 18 radio frequencies across all 16 regions, disseminating information in various ethnic languages. Prof. Alhassan emphasized that the power to save and boost the performance of the state broadcaster lies in the hands of every Ghanaian.
To pay the TV license fee, Ghanaians can simply dial the USSD code *447*333#. Professor Alhassan urged citizens to take advantage of this facility and contribute to the growth and development of GBC, which would ultimately benefit the nation.
The conversation about the TV license fee is, in essence, a conversation about what Ghana wants for itself – a strong and vibrant public broadcaster that serves the interests of all Ghanaians.
