We will continue live broadcast of election petition hearing – GBC

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has given an assurance that it will continue the live broadcast of the election petition hearing currently going on at the Supreme Court. The assurance, which was given by the Director-General of the corporation, Major Albert Don-Chebe (retd), through the Daily Graphic yesterday, clears the dark cloud that hung over the live coverage of the petition in view of the huge cost involved. According  to  Major   Don-Chebe,   the  live  coverage cost the GBC about GHc130,000 daily. That means after 24 days of proceedings at the Supreme Court, the live coverage has imposed a cost of GHc3.12 million on the GBC, which is already reeling under serious financial challenges. Major Don-Chebe, speaking on some Accra-based radio networks last week, had expressed concern over the cost implication of the live coverage of the election petition to the corporation. In view of that, he said, the GBC could not sustain the live coverage of the Supreme Court proceedings forever.

He, however, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that “we intend to continue the coverage”. Major Don-Chebe said the GBC was holding discussions with some of its major stakeholders to see how best the corporation could be supported to continue the live coverage. Responding to suggestions that the GBC could leverage on the live coverage to rake in more revenue through advertisements, he said the election petition hearing was a very serious national matter that should not be diluted with advertisements. continued