Onua TV and Onua FM has sued the National Media Commission (NMC) at the High Court in Accra today, Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
The media firms sued the NMC over what it described as attempts by the NMC to use its constitutionally mandated office to harass Onua TV and Onua FM.
They are seeking an order for a perpetual injunction restraining the NMC from taking any steps that adversely seek to impact the media operations of the company and its associates.
Aside from that they want the court to among other things declare that some orders issued by the Commission to Onua TV and
Onua FM are unlawful and that the conduct of the NMC in refusing to give the stations an opportunity to be heard before imposing sanctions on them is a breach of the law and of natural justice.
According to a statement issued by the Head, Corporate Communications Department, OnuaTV/Onua FM, Media General, operators of the two stations received a letter from the NMC that was wrongly directed on November 14, 2023.
The company said the letter complained of a broadcast simultaneously carried by Onua FM and Onua TV.
In the same letter, the NMC imposed sanctions on the two stations without asking for their side of the story.
The statement revealed that the company drew the attention of the Executive Secretary, Mr. George Sarpong, to the error and also stated that the stations should be given an opportunity to be heard, as is required by the procedures of the National Media Commission’s own Complaints Settlement Committee.
However, their request was rejected, and Mr. George Sarpong has threatened to have the frequency authorizations of the two stations suspended, among other illegal actions.
The company says it finds the actions and posture of the Executive Secretary arbitrary, unconstitutional, and against the principles of natural justice and, therefore, filed a case in court to stop the Commission from further harassing the two stations.
Read the full statement below
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana