The Broadcasters Convention West Africa 2026 opened at Accra’s Labadi Beach Hotel on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, with Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Shamima Muslim delivering a keynote address. Muslim emphasized the profound economic, financial, and structural shifts reshaping the continent’s broadcast industry. She drew on the Writers’ Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report, noting that audience habits, expectations, and points of access have irrevocably changed.
The competitive arena for broadcasters is no longer confined to local stations or television channels. Instead, global platforms increasingly shape content discovery, audience data, and advertising revenue. According to the National Communications Authority’s second-quarter 2026 records, Ghana has 571 operational FM stations and 124 television operators. However, Muslim cautioned that sheer station counts do not equate to financial health or adequately funded quality journalism.
Broadcasters often secure thousands of followers and massive view counts on social media channels but struggle to monetize experiences or secure advertising revenue generated on third-party networks. Muslim challenged broadcasters to confront three fundamental questions: Who is our audience? What distinctive value do we offer? And how do we retain a fair share of the value we create?
To overcome current challenges, media organizations must diversify revenue streams through combinations of advertising, sponsorships, subscriptions, licensing, syndication, branded production, events, and training. Muslim stressed that commercial sustainability must finance public value rather than replace it. This ensures that public service broadcasters fulfill their mandate of accuracy, access, educational value, and language inclusion.
The Deputy Presidential Spokesperson highlighted the need for media organizations to know their audiences and offer distinctive value. This enables them to retain a fair share of the value they create. Muslim’s address emphasized that financial sustainability is crucial for the survival of quality journalism in Africa.
The Broadcasters Convention West Africa 2026 brought together media leaders to discuss the future of broadcasting in the region. The event provided a platform for stakeholders to share ideas and explore opportunities for growth and development. Muslim’s keynote address set the tone for the convention, highlighting the need for broadcasters to adapt to changing audience habits and technological advancements.
The convention aimed to promote financial sustainability and public value in African broadcasting. Muslim’s emphasis on diversifying revenue streams and financing public value resonated with media leaders. The event concluded with a call to action for broadcasters to reclaim ownership and ensure financial sustainability in the face of global competition.
Key points
- African broadcasters must diversify revenue streams to achieve financial sustainability.
- Commercial sustainability must finance public value rather than replace it.
- Broadcasters must know their audiences and offer distinctive value to retain a fair share of the value they create.
