Use Graphic dividend to develop media-Kabral

THE Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Kabral Blay Amehere has suggested the use of the annual dividend paid to government by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCCL) for the development of the media in the country.
He said the NMC had plans to engage the government in a discussion as to how such money could be set aside for the creation of a media development fund where the GCGL itself and other media houses could benefit.
Mr Amehere said these when he accompanied a six-member delegation from the Audio Visual Communication Commission of Benin, an organisation similar to Ghana's NMC on a visit to the GCGL. The visit to the GCGL formed part of the group's four-day visit to Ghana.
The Beninois delegation was the Vice President of the Commission, Mr Edouard Loko. Other members of the delegation were Mr Roujai Akobi, Mr Joseph Ogounchi, Mr Viclouin Agbonon, Mr Jean N'tcha and Ms Katia Kerekou, the daughter of the former President of Benin, Mr Matthew Kerekou.
As part of the familiarisation tour, the group watched a short documentary of the activities of the GCGL after which they turns to praise the company for its performance.
Elaborating on the creation of the media development fund, Mr Amehere explained that since the government had many other sources to generate revenue, the dividend from the GCGL should be used for the improvement of the work the media adding that it was not clear what such moneys were used for.
He commended the Beninois delegation for visiting Ghana and said although the two organisations were both regulatory bodies in their respective countries, there were some differences which made sharing of ideas and experiences very important.
For his part, the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh indicated that, the newspapers in the GCGL stables had managed to maintain its leadership in Ghana's newspaper industry because of the desire to achieve credibility, standards, professionalism and excellence.
He said those qualities had been on the minds of many Ghanaian readers to the extend that anytime any of the GCGL eight publications decided to be "a bit adventurous" in its reportage, the public was quick to criticise.
On the issue of the creation of a media development fund, Mr Tetteh who is also the President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) said there were already discusions between the association and the government in that direction.
The leader of the Beninios delegation, Mr Loko expressed delight at the performance of the GCGL, and more especially the Daily Graphic for doing so well in spite of the fact that newspapers all over the world were suffering from lack of readership.
He expressed the hope that each member of the group would learn from the Graphic experience which when applied, could help media development back home.
He was full of praise for the GCGL stating that the company had performed over the years to become an institution on its own.
In a brief interaction, the Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Awal said the company had since its establishment won the hearts of the Ghanaian public by employing balance, fairness and credibility in spite of the fact it was a profit making organisation.