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| A logo of the state broadaster |
In July, 2016 at the
entrance of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) hanged some red banners. In
one of such banners were white-drawn human skulls. Scary; they were!
In another banner, that
was draped on a barricade directly to the drive-way of the nation’s
broadcasting house, were a three pointer warning.
“No entry for board
members. We would not allow the board to collapse GBC, and we cannot work with
the board,” it read.
Our elders say a man
does not wander far from where his corn is roasting. So, the aggrieved workers
of GBC will not move an inch away from their banners. They chanted and shouted
their hearts out.
But, what were their
main concerns and to whom exactly were they angry at? These workers blamed
their board of directors for mismanaging the affairs of the Corporation.
“Come! I say come,” commanded
Nutor Bibini Nutor, a senior journalist with GTV. He was telling me to follow
him on a tour through the Corporation.
Once a freelancer, I
filed stories for Ghana Television (GTV) and I got the opportunity to roam in almost
every corner of the Corporation. Nonetheless, I would follow Bibini.
At the Makeup Room
stood bottles and containers of all shapes in front of a glittering mirror. I
was told 90% of these makeup kits belonged to the workers there themselves or
gifted them by Alloette Cosmetics.
“You see? I told you. GBC
has never bought ordinary powder since this board was sworn into office,” said
Bibini.
Before going to the
makeup room, I was made to take a closer look at a number of studios at the
Corporation that have been rented to private media houses. One of such private media
houses is Health & Safety TV.
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| One of the private media houses renting studios at GB |
The aggrieved GBC
workers say channels belonging to the Corporation including Obonu TV have no studios on their own whereas
studios have been rented out.
If I will not be
(mis)taken for exaggeration, it took about a handful of the staff at GBC that I
did not interview on their demonstration. In all, one issue remains paramount
to me that I cannot brush under the carpet.
The GTV newsroom! Here,
when I entered, it was as if planned. Reporters had queued to go record their
respective scripts. They told me and my cameraman to freely film their plight.
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| Journalists queue to reord |
Then, I was shown a
printer that sat somewhere in the newsroom. I was told it was rented from IPMC.
Moreover, the journalists in the newsroom complained to me about the lack of
chairs to sit on to write stories.
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| The printer |
The Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation is supposed to be our British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). One
listens to BBC radio or watches BBC television and sees perfection. Can this be
said about ours?
Professionalism cannot
be taken away from the staff of GBC. Sadly, however, what ought to make the
media outlets within the GBC stand out to compete with international standard
is missing.
From old fashioned
studio sets (that have loose banners stuck on wooden boards) to paying a deaf
ear to technological advancements, our GBC’s story is but a sad one to tell.
So, could the board of
directors being accused by the aggrieved workers of GBC be the main reason for
the Corporation’s apparent failure?
I have not had the
opportunity to meet this board of directors. Nonetheless, at a press conference
organised by the workers I asked a humble question.
“What was the state of
GBC before the current board of directors was sworn into office?”
The
Chairman of the Divisional Union of Public Sector Workers Union of GBC, Michael Allotey responded to my question.
That, matters have worsened ‘since this board came into office.’
He, again,
accused the board of receiving fat sitting allowances,
bills of hotel accommodation and meeting venues to the neglect of the Corporation.
The fly that dances
carelessly in front of a spider's web, old sages say, risks the wrath of the
spider's teeth. I will, therefore, be careful in order not to dance carelessly in
front of neither the aggrieved workers nor the board of directors. Why? I have
no evidence to accuse the board and the mere fact of what I saw at GBC will not
be enough evidence to support the workers.
Whereas I commend the
workers for coming out to drum home what worries them, I must say a testimony
by an insider [who confided in me] calls for a national dialogue and probe into the woes of
GBC.
My insider did not
completely rubbish the aggrieved workers’ claims. However, I was told the level
of apathy and attitude towards the proverbial ‘government work’ is immensely
contributing to GBC’s collapse.
“People come to work at
8am and by 12pm they have closed. This is not just for a day. A normal routine
here.
“You kill yourself to do
your best to raise the standard of GBC, to win the public’s confidence, and you
are told ‘are you a fool? Is the job for your father?’”
I personally will prefer
watching Hollywood among other professional movies. But my desire for such does
not kill my interest in our Kumawood. My reason is that if we all ran away from
that which we say is bad then how do we ever develop it?
In the movie example,
you watch it, pin-point the Kumawood and Nigeria’s (among others') lapses so you
offer suggestions for its betterment. And this is my insider’s philosophy too.
This insider will not run away from GBC; the private media is watched and suggestions are offered to the GBC.
Putting the issues of
GBC’s board of directors and that of some of the Corporation’s workers side by
side, two questions come to mind. Are Ghanaians watching GBC’s ‘drama’? And
does it not call for a national dialogue to fine tune the Corporation?
If by owning a
television set for personal/commercial use without necessarily watching GTV, and
a repairer servicing faulty television sets we are told to pay TV license,
then, matters relating to GBC should be everybody’s concern.
Indeed, the GBC recently threatening a shutdown of its stations, over the aforementioned issues, is worrying enough.
Indeed, the GBC recently threatening a shutdown of its stations, over the aforementioned issues, is worrying enough.
If the BBC is able to
do spellbinding journalism then we demand similar from GBC. I, therefore, call
for a national dialogue on GBC’s drama to apprehend whoever is drawing the state
broadcaster back. The National Media Commission (NMC) which appoints the board
of directors must not be left out in this dialogue.
The NMC has also been
accused of being in bed with GBC’s board of directors and it must be involved
in this GBC dialogue to give them the chance to let us hear their true stance
rather than the Commission firing missiles of counterattacks on radio
stations.
The writer is a broadcast
journalist with 3FM 92.7. Opinions expressed here solely remain his and not
that of his media organisation.
Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com
Twitter: @Aniwaba
