The Minister for Communication, Digital Technologies and Innovations, Sam George has cautioned that Ghana can no longer sustain the full cost of operating the national Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform, urging broadcasters to prepare for cost-sharing arrangements to secure the future of the service.
Delivering the keynote address at a forum organised by the Africa Media Bureau in Accra on Friday, September 26, 2025, the Minister reminded stakeholders that the DTT transmission network, established in 2016 under then-Minister Edward Omane Boamah, was designed with a phased cost-recovery plan for broadcasters.
“The strategy then was for the Government to support the industry with the investment in the network and to gradually cover the operational costs through payment by TV stations as follows: zero fees for the first year, 50% of the price in the second year, 75% of the cost in the third year and then full cost recovery thereafter,” the Minister explained.
However, he noted that successive policy delays and litigation by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) had stalled implementation, leaving government to shoulder the operational and maintenance costs of the network for nearly a decade.
“The over 45 stations on the platform have not paid any fees for the operations and maintenance of the transmission network for almost a decade. The Government of Ghana has borne this cost over the period, thereby subsidising private enterprise. This is not sustainable,” he stressed.
With demand for new slots on the DTT platform growing, Sam George announced plans to convene an industry-wide meeting to agree on a “straightforward arrangement” for financial sustainability.
“The free ride bus is running out of gas, and we need to find a sustainable means of fuelling the DTT bus,” he declared.
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to expanding the platform but insisted that broadcasters must now contribute their fair share to ensure its survival.
