NCA pledges more monitoring of FM coverage requirement

The National Communications Authority (NCA) says it will continue to monitor the performance of operations of authorisation and licence holders to ensure compliance for a streamlined industry.

The monitoring, it pointed out, would be undertaken at regular intervals.

Giving a presentation on coverage compliance during a workshop with some radio stations that defaulted on their coverage requirements, the acting NCA Director of Engineering, Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, noted that the Authority ensured the reclassification of FM Radio stations in 2013.

This was done to regulate the radio frequency spectrum for broadcasting services, and to determine technical and other standards for the operation of broadcasting services.

Rev. Ing. Fianko said the reclassification sought to, among other things, reduce the maximum coverage of FM radio signals to 45km adding that it applied to new stations from 2013 and existing stations upon renewal of their Authorisations.

Ensuring compliance

Following that, he said, the Authority began to ensure that all stations were compliant by monitoring their coverage radii.

According to him, in April this year, his outfit conducted a coverage compliance monitoring exercise at Ahwerase and its environs, at the Akuapem Mountains, to assess coverage compliance of 37 stations in the Greater Accra Region.

“It was observed during the exercise that out of the 37 stations, 31 of them violated the coverage requirement in at least one direction,” he said.

Taking the participants through the findings of the monitoring exercise, he highlighted the methodology of the report hinting at the NCA’s readiness to assist Authorisation holders who may have difficulty in the process of reducing their transmitter signal strength.

Rev. Ing. Fianko also disclosed that the Authority had acquired state-of-the-art equipment, including the Broadcast Monitoring System, to monitor and ensure the compliance of the conditions entailed in the FM Broadcasting Authorisation.

Caution

Taking his turn, the Director Legal of NCA, Dr. Poku Adusei, cautioned stations in violation to be circumspect in their regulatory activities.

He explained the conditions of the FM Radio Broadcasting Authorisation to participants and the consequences of non-compliance to the participants, urging them to contact the NCA should they require any clarifications or assistance regarding their Authorisation conditions.