The National Communications Authority (NCA), together with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Media Commission (NMC), has warned FM and television broadcasters to step up scrutiny of investment-related advertisements as fraudulent schemes increasingly exploit the media to reach the public.
The caution was delivered during an engagement with broadcast stations at the NCA Tower, where regulators outlined the risks posed by unethical advertising and stressed the role of media houses in preventing financial harm to audiences.
Speaking on behalf of the Acting Deputy Director-General for Technical Operations at the NCA, Bernard Amissah-Ocran, Head of the Authority’s Engineering Division, stated that safeguarding the airwaves is a shared responsibility between regulators and operators.
“As regulators and operators, we are collectively entrusted with ensuring that the airwaves remain safe, credible, and in the public interest. This includes exercising vigilance over broadcast content, particularly advertisements and promotions that may expose the public to financial harm,” he stated.
Mr. Amissah-Ocran said the engagement was designed to give broadcasters a clearer understanding of how fraudulent investment schemes operate and the regulatory consequences of airing misleading promotions. He added that closer cooperation among the NCA, SEC and the National Media Commission was critical in addressing issues that cut across broadcasting, finance and consumer protection.
The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, George Sarpong, urged broadcasters to go beyond compliance and actively use their platforms to educate the public on risks that threaten society. He also called for more structured and regular collaboration between regulators and media organisations to respond quickly to emerging threats in the media space.
From the financial regulator’s perspective, Securities and Exchange Commission Deputy Director-General Mensah Thompson said investment fraud undermines confidence in both the capital market and the media.
He warned that while the growth of digital and new media platforms has expanded opportunities for innovation and economic activity, it has also created new avenues for abuse. Mr. Thompson said the joint engagement reflects ongoing efforts by the three regulators to strengthen oversight, improve coordination and protect the public as Ghana’s media and financial ecosystems become more complex.
