Founded on July 31, 1935, as Radio ZOY, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has grown from its modest beginnings into a national multimedia powerhouse, shaping public discourse and chronicling the country’s history in real time. The brain behind the introduction of broadcasting into the country was the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Arnold Hodson, affectionately known as the “Sunshine Governor”. He was ably assisted by a British radio engineer, Mr. F. A. W. Byron.
The new broadcasting Service was code-named Radio “ZOY”. It was manned by eight technicians and housed in a small Bungalow on 9th Road near the Ridge Police Station in Accra. Broadcasting first began in four Ghanaian languages namely Fanti, Twi, Ga, Ewe and later Hausa. Part-time staff were engaged to translate and announce the news in these languages until 1943 when full-time staff were appointed.
Between 1946 and 1953, the Organisation was administered by the Public Relation Department, now the Information Services Department. On the recommendation of a commission set up in 1953, the Gold Coast Broadcasting System (GCBS) was established and from there it became a department in its own right. On attainment of independence in 1957, the Gold Coast was renamed Ghana and the GCBS became Ghana Broadcasting System (GBS).
Speaking at a brief commemorative ceremony at Broadcasting House in Accra, the Director-General of GBC, Prof. "GBC is not just a broadcaster. It is a national treasure. Long live GBC.
Established under an act by the British colonial government in 1935, the Gold Coast first operated a Broadcasting outlet called radio ZOY. This was the code name of a relay station the BBC operated.
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By 1700GMT on that historic day, gramophone records comprising of martial and light music were relayed and exactly 1745GMT the voice of Sir Arnold Hodson came through to break the tension and the suspense with this explicit message:
“One of the main reasons for introducing the Relay Service is to bring News, Entertainment and Music into the homes of all and sundry. This will bring to an end the barriers of isolation and ignorance in the path of progress and also to enable the people of Gold Coast to improve on their very rich cultural music”.
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Logo
GBC's Mandate and Expansion
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was established by law in 1968 with a triple mandate as a State Broadcaster, Public Service Broadcaster, and a Commercial Broadcaster in Ghana. Headquartered in the capital city, Accra, GBC is funded by grants, broadcasting television commercials and the levying of a television licence, costing 36 cedis and 60 cedis for one or more TV sets in the same house every year.
It expanded with time to meet ever increasing expectations occasioned by growth in human population. The mandate of GBC requires that it provides services for all segments of the multicultural society, with the cardinal roles being timely information, education and entertainment.
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GBC operates the famous Ghana Television GTV (a channel for events that matter most to Ghanaians), which is broadcast nationwide on analogue terrestrial platform. Additionally, GBC runs four digital networks namely: GTV Sports+ (24-hour sports channel that provides premium sports programmes), GBC News (24-hour news and current affairs channel), GTV Life (Religious and cultural channel), Obonu TV (a channel for the people of Greater Accra and window for the Ga-Dangbe).
Back in 1965, Dr Kwame Nkrumah inaugurated the television division for black and white screens. Both radio and television became main components of GBC's electronic outlets for information dissemination.
Ghana Television was launched on 31 July 1965 at 4pm, after a few months of test transmissions, exactly thirty years since the launch of Radio ZOY (later Radio Ghana). At its launch speech, Kwame Nkrumah defended that GTV should be used for "education in the broadest purest sense".
In 1996, the Supreme Court settled a key debate in Ghana when its ruling committed the state broadcaster to the equal opportunities doctrine in broadcasting. Thus, the corporation is obliged to be fair and grant equal publicity to all political parties in Ghana.
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GBC Training School
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, which is also an agency overseen by the Ministry of Information, runs a training school that provides tuition in radio and TV broadcasting and engineering. It has over the years trained both locally and internationally renowned broadcasters. The training school has two faculties: Broadcast Journalism and Broadcast Technology.
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GTV Programming
GTV broadcasts mainly local programming, with over 80% of the schedule consisting of original productions. Although its main production studio is located in Accra, capital city of Ghana, it has affiliations nationwide and covers 98% of the airwaves in Ghana, making it the most powerful mode of advertisement in Ghana.
GTV currently and formerly broadcasts shows from international networks from regions such as Europe, US, and Asia. Some of these shows include: In The House, The Cosby Show, Taina, Becker, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Family Matters, Moesha, Soul Food, The King of Queens, CNN, PBS, Cartoon Network, NBA, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Passions, Touched by an Angel, BBC Radio, as well as a host of others.
GTV also shows many foreign films, particularly US films, as well as music videos by US Black acts. Although entertaining, most of the shows on GTV are either educational (for example, portraits of Ghanaian artists such as Eric Adjetey Anang), or attempt to address Ghanaian social issues.
The station also broadcasts live international events like the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, Miss World and Miss Universe.
GBC: A Custodian of Ghana's Collective Memory
From colonial rule to independence, and through every democratic transition, GBC has stood as a custodian of Ghana’s collective memory. Its radio and television platforms have been the stage on which Ghana’s evolving political, social, and cultural narratives have been told. In an era of rapid digital transformation, GBC has remained resilient-modernising its operations, expanding its online presence, and launching new digital platforms to keep pace with the demands of the contemporary media landscape.
The 90th anniversary also celebrates the men and women, past and present, whose dedication, creativity, and professionalism have sustained the Corporation. As it enters its tenth decade, GBC is poised to reposition itself as a relevant, innovative, and credible public broadcaster that reflects the hopes and realities of all Ghanaians.
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