Entertainment
Broadcasters must pay for DTT platform but $10k fee is on the high side – Sam George
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The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Communications Committee, Samuel Nartey George, has emphasised that TV stations utilizing the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform must pay for its usage.
The Ningo-Prampram lawmaker argued that the platform incurs significant costs for the state in its operation and cannot be provided to broadcasters for free.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, December 11, Mr Nartey George acknowledged that while the initial $10,000 charge set by the Communications Minister is on the high side, there should be a reconsideration of the fee.
He urged the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Communications Ministry to engage in a more collaborative approach, emphasizing that both entities need each other to operate effectively in the space.
“The point must be made that this whole thing about the charge is a long-standing principle from the days of Dr Omane Boamah (former Communications Minister), when the DTT platform was built in 2015. There is always been the understanding that the DTT platform is not for free and that there will be a fee to be paid.”
“The issue at stake now is the processes by which the fee is being determined. We as a committee have invited the ministry and GIBA. The Ministry and GIBA need to come to a place where they have an understanding that it is not possible to proceed without the one or the other and that this matter would have to be discussed and agreed on and not litigated on.”
“The Ministry has originally determined a fee of $15,000 which I believe is on the high side even though the DTT appears to be a monopoly, there are other platforms, and there is a fair understanding of how much those platforms charge the same TV stations for broadcasting their content which is in the region of $7,500. So I hold the view that will be a fair place to start the conversation,” he told host Evans Mensah.
On Monday, December 11, Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful issued a warning that television signals to homes and offices may be cut next year if operators fail to pay for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.
The Minister emphasized that the government has been covering the cost of operating the platform, incurring millions of dollars, and can no longer bear the expense.
In response to this warning, the President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Andrew Danso-Aninkora Sunkwa-Mills, described the caution as ‘unfortunate.’
In an interview with JoyNews, Mr Sunkwa-Mills stated that GIBA opposes the arbitrary allocation of fees on a national platform by the Communications Ministry.
He highlighted that the Minister initially proposed a fee of $15,000 a month per station, which was later reduced to $10,000 a month after the fee faced challenges and the Association called for a breakdown.
Mr Sunkwa-Mills emphasized that the DTT platform is monopolistic, and the determination of rates or fees must align with the Rate and Fees Act passed and managed by the Finance Committee of Parliament.
What is DTT?
Digital Terrestrial Television is a technology for terrestrial television where television stations broadcast television content in a digital format.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
Ghana’s comedy industry would take centre stage today, when the sixth edition of the Ghana Comedy Awards is held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ridge, Accra.
The event, which has become the country’s premier platform for recognising excellence in comedy since it rebranded from the Comedy and Poetry Awards, would celebrate comedians whose performances and contributions stood out between January 1 and December 31, 2025. 
This year’s ceremony would begin with a red-carpet session at 7:00 p.m., followed by the main awards event at 8:30 p.m.
Organisers have promised an evening of entertainment featuring some of Ghana’s foremost comedy talents, including Lekzy, Jeneral Ntatia, Kojo PJay, Oh Joo, Alo Wess, Ranzy Ray and Jerry Ashinyo.
Musical performances are also expected to complement the comedy acts.
Media personality Kwame Dadzie would play host for the event, which is expected to attract comedians, entertainers and fans from across the country.
Tickets for the awards are selling at GH¢200 for the silver package and GH¢300 for Gold.
The organisers have also urged the public to support their favourite nominees by voting before polls close at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1. Voting can be done by dialling 71333*009# and entering the nominee’s code.
Beyond honouring outstanding performers, the Ghana Comedy Awards seeks to celebrate the growth of Ghana’s comedy industry and the talents who continue to entertain audiences nationwide. -GNA
After years of development, funding, and creative grit, Ghanaian feature film “Ego Reach We All” has earned an official nomination to make its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this month.
Formerly titled Vagabonds, the 105-minute drama was written and directed by Amartei Armar and produced by Yemoh Ike.
It marks one of the biggest international breakthroughs for Ghanaian cinema in recent years.
The film was shot entirely in Ghana with a Ghanaian cast and crew, grounding it in authentic local culture.
Post-production was completed in France, a collaboration that Director Amartei Armar says reflects the film’s spirit, “A Ghanaian story told with the world.”
The journey began in 2018 when the short film version won at the Montreal World Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event.
From there, ‘Ego Reach We All’ grew into a full-length feature backed by some of the most respected names in global film development: Winner – Cannes Focus CoPro, Recipient – Red Sea Development Fund, Honoree – Red Sea Souk Award and Backed by – Red Sea Productions Fund.
Industry watchers have called it one of the most promising African film projects to emerge in the last decade.
Beyond awards, the project was shaped in top international labs.
Armar was selected for the Heyazah Screening Lab in Doha, Qatar, to refine the film’s narrative.
Producer, Yemoh Ike joined the prestigious, 2023 EAVE Producers Programme under a CNC scholarship, with training sessions in Luxembourg, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Most recently, the film was chosen for the 2025 Atlas Workshop in Marrakesh, Morocco, cementing its place in global cinema circles.
Casts include, Idrissu Tontie, Dorothy Adobea Tandoh, Emmanuel Wilberforce, Barbara Yong Jin, Emmanuel Owusu Ofori, O’Bryan Kwame Enyan, Gabriel Narh Addo, Nelly Bilson, and Kwame Brenya.
For the team, Locarno is not just a festival slot. It’s validation that Ghanaian stories, told by Ghanaians, can compete on the world’s most respected stages.
“Principal photography was done entirely by Ghanaian creatives,” the producers noted.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
