The Role of public television in social development communication in a post-colonial developing country: a case study of the public televison service in the Republic of Ghana.

Abstract

Ghana Television shares many of the post-colonial historical features that public broadcasting systems in African countries inherited at independence. The television producers’ perceptions of role and job function, politics and organisational structures impact the role of Ghana Television and its contribution to contemporary Ghanaian society. Through a consideration of national post-colonial history and theories of media, communication, culture and development communication, this thesis considers the agency of Ghana Television in social development by analysing producers’ perceptions of their production system and broadcast outcomes. Ghanaian public television service faces many challenges that are primarily political and historical. Producers struggle to straddle a line between instinctively championing ideals within content creation processes and maintaining a ill-functioning system and politicised culture of production. The research finds that there are difficulties inherent in delivering a truly public service remit, within the historicised post-colonial context, and highlights the challenges as well as opportunities for improving the delivery of public television service. It draws conclusions that have lessons for similar countries in the post-colonial South.