[ 2015-03-26 ]

Multimedia cuts back on overnight broadcasts; Joy, Asempa, Adom, Hitz shut down from midnight to 4am
To mitigate the debilitating effects of the
ongoing power crisis the management of Multimedia
Group Limited, the parent company of Joy FM, Adom
FM, Hitz FM and Asempa FM has taken a decision to
cut back on overnight transmissions.

The decision means broadcasts on all the four
radio stations will end at midnight and resume at
4 am each day until further notice.

The power crisis has taken a toll on many
businesses across the country. Many firms have had
to adopt cost-cutting measures in a bid to keep
jobs and their business running.

One of the major challenges affecting business
operations is the cost of generating power.

Chief Operating Officer of Accra Radio, Ekyi
Quarm, said over the past three months, when a
nationwide power rationing exercise started,
Multimedia has been digging deep into its finances
to sustain normal broadcasts.

"However, it's gotten to a stage where we can no
longer do that. So since last week, we've been
going off from midnight to 4am. This applies to
our operations in Kumasi as well", he explained.

Generators running Multimedia transmitting sites
are also being managed to cut down fuel costs.

According Ekyi Quarm, expenditure on fuel over the
past months has risen exponentially - from
GH¢2,000 to GH¢20,000 every month - a situation
that has taken a heavy toll on the company's
resources.

"We have to conserve to survive", Ekyi Quarm
said.

A 500 megawatt shortfall in power generation,
representing almost a third of the 2,000 megawatts
needed, kickstarted the nationwide plunge into a
frustrating energy crisis.

Power producer, Volta River Authority (VRA), has
said the situation, which is by the far the worst
in the country's history, has intensified due to
the low levels of water in the Akosombo, Bui and
Kpong dams.

Furthermore, the strategic Asogli thermal power
plant is down to half capacity which is equivalent
to about 90 megawatts.

Cenite, another thermal plant in Tema, is also
down, further depriving the nation of some 100
megawatts of power; while TICO in Takoradi is also
down.

The situation got to a head when the loadshedding
exercise, characterised by 12 hours of power and
24 hours of power cut, was extended to industrial
enclaves across the country.

Source - Joy News

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