Where did we lose it? The falling standards of our airwaves and silence of regulators

There was a time in this country when media meant only one thing: Ghana Television (GBC) and Radio 1, Radio 2, and later Radio GAR.

We used to call it a monopoly, but we enjoyed it. After GBC came Metro TV and TV3, and after Radio 1, 2, and Radio GAR in Accra came Joy FM - the stations that broke the monopoly and opened up private broadcasting.

In those days, listeners and viewers were truly educated, informed, and entertained. You could clearly tell that there were well-trained programme managers, television directors, and producers behind the scenes. They served the nation with the best programmes on our screens.

Pundits for talk shows were strictly professionals and experienced in their fields. You could hear it clearly in their submissions and debates. They spoke with ease, depth, and without unnecessary effort. Religious programmes were handled by well-respected clergy in society.

Social and entertainment shows were done by practitioners who knew the creative space inside-out. Educational programmes were masterminded and controlled by those who deserved to be there - people who would not muddy the waters or bombard listeners with half-baked research.

They were faces and voices we confided in. Faces and voices we trusted to shape our thoughts and actions.

We remember the golden era of broadcasting with great personalities who made listening to radio and watching television news a joy. Names like Mike Eghan, the Magnificent Emperor, George Crabbe, Charlie Sam, James Armantey, Joe Reindorf, Kofi Ampedu Boateng.

And the legendary newsreaders of our time: John Hammond, Richard Kotey, and Efua Bentsi-Enchill and several others. They exhibited true professionalism. Their diction, their composure, their research, and their respect for the audience were unmatched.

You could not appear on national television shabbily dressed or inappropriately dressed. Even hairstyles were checked. The pundits knew the right diction to use. Children and youth who sat behind the television or were avid listeners to radio in those days can testify that those programmes directly or indirectly shaped who they are today.

The narrative today is a sharp contrast.

We can hardly boast of quality programmes that inform, educate, and entertain in our media spaces today. A few ones are doing well, though, but they can do better. Now our screens have been taken over by unprofessional presenters, pundits who lack research on the topic of discussion.

Many appear on television and call themselves counsellors, suggesting all kinds of immorality leading to unstable relationships at home, at workplaces and churches.

I cannot tell if the roles of the National Media Commission (NMC) have changed. I cannot tell if, because the number of media houses has increased exponentially, monitoring and evaluation has become a challenge. Maybe it is about resources? I cannot answer that for them.

But my fear is for the future of those who consume these programmes. The language and tone used on most of these stations is appalling. They are not serving the core purpose of a media house: to educate, entertain and inform.

Pundits dress shabbily and talk anyhow on television shows. For radio programmes, the least said about it, the better. I do not want to mention any station, but we know them. Many viewers and listeners complain, yet the same public continues to consume the nonsense.

So I ask: What happened to the National Media Commission? What happened to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)?

The NMC is mandated by the 1992 Constitution to promote and ensure freedom and independence of the media and to insulate the state-owned media from governmental control. It is also mandated to ensure high journalistic standards.

The NCCE is mandated to educate the public on civic matters. Where are these two bodies in this era of insults, misinformation, sensationalism, and mediocrity?

We have moved from under 10 stations in the early 90s to over 500 radio stations and over 100 TV stations today. Competition is good, but competition without standards is dangerous. The rush for ratings, political favour and cheap popularity has replaced professionalism.

Is the problem with the National Media Commission, or are stations just not recruiting professionals from UniMAC-IFT (formerly NAFTI), UniMAC-IJ (formerly GIJ), and other professional institutions that train people for the media space? Today, anyone with money can buy airtime and become a pundit or a morning show host overnight, without training, without ethics.

We have reached a point where some stations need their broadcasting licences to be reviewed. Freedom of speech is not freedom to pollute the public space. If a station consistently violates basic standards of decency, truthfulness, and professionalism, then the regulator must have the courage to call it to order, suspend it, or revoke its licence.

To be fair, some current presenters are doing well and trying to hold the line. But they could do much better if they researched well before going on air. As part of the solution, there must be greater emphasis on regulation and proper training. New employees must be well vetted and retrained if necessary.

And most importantly, as a rule of thumb, presenters should practise the right pronunciation of names of people, whether local or foreign, and names of towns, countries and institutions before going on air. That was the standard in the golden era, and it must return. You cannot mispronounce your own district capitals on national radio and call yourself a professional.

We are raising a generation that thinks shouting is debate, that insults are analysis, and that indecent dressing is branding.

The media does not just report society; it shapes it. If we get the media wrong, we get the future wrong.

Our children also deserve a future where they can tell their own kids: We heard great pundits and great television and radio personalities in our time. We had great television and radio programmes that shaped us into who we are today. We must demand better.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.