Ghana’s airwaves are being “soiled” by charlatans posing as religious leaders, fetish priests promoting money-doubling schemes, and broadcasters pushing sexually explicit content disguised as relationship shows, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology & Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has warned.
Speaking in Accra at a policy dialogue organised by the Africa Media Bureau, Sam George said the time had come for regulators, broadcasters and policymakers to act decisively to restore “sanity” in the nation’s broadcasting space.
“We must all agree that charlatans parading as ‘Men of god’ instead of men of God and running all kinds of frivolous schemes in the name of God need to be driven out of our airwaves like the temple with the regulatory whip.”
He added that money-doubling and get-rich-quick schemes promoted by “unscrupulous fetish priests” had no place in public broadcasting, while pornographic and sexually explicit material masquerading as adult relationship shows could not be allowed to continue “soiling the innocence of our national airwaves”.
The minister insisted that profit could not be placed above the collective good, stressing that the industry must work together to safeguard public morality and protect vulnerable audiences. “There must be sanity, and we must work together to achieve the same. We cannot put today’s profits ahead of tomorrow’s sanity,” he said, urging stakeholders to chart a clear roadmap to clean up the broadcast environment.
Looking to the future, Sam george said Ghana’s broadcasting sector must be inclusive, sustainable and forward-looking. He emphasised the need for strict compliance with licensing conditions, greater investment in local content, fact-checking and media literacy, and a stronger embrace of digital technologies. He also underscored the importance of regional cooperation and benchmarking, noting that Ghana must learn from global best practices if it is to remain competitive on the continental stage.
The event, held under the theme “Broadcasting at the Crossroads: Shaping Ghana’s Media Future,” brought together policymakers, regulators and industry leaders. It ended with a call for collaboration to balance profitability with responsibility, ensuring that broadcasting in Ghana serves the public interest while upholding professional and ethical standards.
