The National Communications Authority (NCA) has disclosed that more than 200 licensed radio stations in Ghana remain inactive, despite having authorisation to operate.
Acting Director of Engineering at the NCA, Bernard Amissah-Ocran revealed that out of 763 authorised FM stations nationwide, only 539 are currently broadcasting, while 224 stations have either not commenced operations or gone off air.
He shared the findings during the Broadcasting at the Crossroads forum, organised by the Africa Media Bureau in Accra on Friday, September 26. The NCA’s second-quarter 2025 report provides a comprehensive breakdown of FM station distribution across all 16 regions.
The data shows wide disparities in radio activity across the country. The Ashanti Region tops the list with 116 licensed stations, of which 85 are on air and 31 inactive. The Western Region follows with 88 stations, but only 59 are operational, leaving 29 off air.
The Greater Accra Region has 84 licensed stations, 71 active and 13 inactive. Bono Region counts 59 stations, with 46 currently broadcasting. At the other end of the spectrum, the North East Region records the lowest numbers, with 13 licensed stations and only seven on air. Other regions, including Central, Eastern, Northern, Volta and Western North, also reported significant numbers of inactive stations.
The NCA report also classified Ghana’s 763 licensed FM stations by type, noting that they comprise 31 public stations, 155 community stations, five campus stations, 548 commercial stations and 24 foreign-authorised stations.
The revelation comes at a time when media stakeholders are expressing concern over the financial health of Ghana’s broadcast sector.
With traditional advertising revenue shrinking, industry players argue that many stations face difficulties sustaining operations, raising questions about the long-term viability of community and commercial broadcasters alike.