Some Ghanaians have raised concerns about the seeming preference being given to privately-owned media station, Woezor TV over state broadcaster, Ghana Television relative to the broadcast of national events.
The concerns focus on the observation that since the arrival of the John Dramani Mahama government, the role of GTV as the primary broadcaster of key national events, particularly from the Jubilee House is being usurped by Woezor TV.
GTV, known for producing state events and securing broadcasting rights for other media stations in the country, now seems to be sidelined. This development has sparked discussions among Ghanaian netizens.
Critics have asserted that the emerging dominance of Woezor TV, which has led to the social media handles of the presidency broadcasting live events with the Woezor logo, does not bode well for the image of the country. They argue that Woezor TV, being a private entity, should not be given exclusive rights to broadcast government events, as it is not a state broadcaster.
In response to these concerns, Stan Xoese Dogbe, the Director of Operations at the Presidency, posted a lengthy write-up on Facebook on February 19, 2025.
He explained that the privately owned media station has been the official broadcaster of the NDC since their time in opposition, a role it continues to fulfill.
He questioned the motives behind the public outcry regarding the station taking over the position traditionally held by GTV, emphasizing that no authority has prevented GTV from taking a live feed from the presidency.
According to him, he sees no wrongdoing if GTV picks a live feed from Woezor TV to broadcast. He instead suggested that a collaborative relationship should exist among all media platforms in the country, as they all share the same goal of informing the public, rather than engaging in unhealthy competition.
Wading into the controversy, investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni pointed out that other media stations, including GTV, having unfettered access to broadcast or take feeds from the presidency should not be an issue. However, he stressed that the president’s social media accounts broadcasting with Woezor TV’s logo create a significant conflict of interest.
He explained this by stating that Stan Dogbe, the Director of Operations at the presidency, being the owner of the media channel, holds a position that gives him the potential to influence which station provides official live feeds for presidential and national events. This, he argued, could lead to controversies, even if Dogbe does not actively exercise that influence.
Manasseh therefore advised Dogbe to avoid such controversies, as they could undermine his work at the presidency and overshadow his role.
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Source: Ghanaweb
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