Classification Committee aim at safeguarding public interest – Socrate Safo

Socrate Sarfo, Chairman of the Film Classification Committee (FCC) says they have taken steps to ensure decency on television screens in a bid to protect the public interest.

According to the astute filmmaker, the committee since its inauguration in May, this year, had engaged some owners of television stations as well as the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) to explain their responsibilities to them, which includes the categorization, classification, standardization, and preview of film content intended for viewership.

In an interview, Mr. Sarfo explained that their duty was to make sure that television contents were classified so as to guide the audiences in viewership.

“We have engaged stakeholders over the past months and we have arrived at a consensus as to what our mandate entails and that we are not here to control, approve or pass their contents but we are only to classify what content they decide to put out.

“So by classification doesn’t mean we are exercising control but whatever you decide to put out must be classified to an audience and that is what the law says,’’ he said.

Mr. Sarfo was however worried about the inappropriate times some contents appeared on the screens and assured the general public that the Committee would take the necessary actions to address the issue and safeguard the public interest.