Ghana instates audiovisual regulator

The inauguration of the FCC took place at the Ghana Tourist Information Centre in Accra on 14 May. The event was attended by various stakeholders including the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng Gyasi. 

The FCC will be chaired by Socrate Sarfo, a film producer and the director of creative arts at the National Commission on Culture (NCC). He said local and foreign content that could corrupt the moral, cultural or religious values of Ghanaian society would be banned. 

“I am determined to make this a priority when I look at my children at home and wonder what they are watching," he said. "Whatever they are consuming at that time, only God can tell because we are what we watch.

"Sincerely, I’m afraid for the future looking at the present content on our TV. That is where I draw inspiration from, to fight and protect the future."

Gyasi said: “I am confident that this process would open a chapter in the development of Ghana’s film industry. Filmmaking is an act with a universal communication power and has a transformational impact on the human mind as they portray and influence society," she said. 

"The work of the classification committee would ensure that the impact of culture, economic, historical, political and technological dimensions would change the narratives of filmmaking in Ghana, thus enhancing quality and classification of film to protect viewers in the best of the country."

The 12-member committee comprises representatives from the Ministry for Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Information Services Department, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the National Film and Television Institute, the Film Producers Association, the Ghana Police Service, the Copyright Office of Ghana, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Federation of Muslim Councils, the Traditional Religious Authority, and the National House of Chiefs.

Prior to the formation of the FCC, audiovisual content in Ghana was regulated by the National Communications Authority.