Ghana yesterday won all but one of the awards at the first ever BBC Africa Radio Awards, Western Region final. Citi FM walked away with the award for New Radio Station of the Year and Interactive/Talk Show of the Year for its Breakfast Show, whilst Joy FM won Radio Station of the Year, Local On-Air Campaign of the Year and News Journalist of the Year for Joy FM's Kofi Owusu.
The impressive state of Ghanaian radio journalism is something we can all be proud of, and Vera Kwakofi, the Ghanaian-born producer of BBC World Service Africa and formerly of Ghana"s Vibe FM, who was one of the judges commented: "Having worked in radio in Ghana, I know how important radio has become to the growth of a democratic culture, as radio has helped make people aware of their place and role in the development of their country.”
The other judges on the panel were Dora Nkem Akunyili, Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and Bola Mosuro, a familiar voice on BBC World Service programmes such as Network Africa and Focus on Africa. They were joined by a listener judge, Selase Kwawu, a student at the University of Ghana, who won his place through an essay competition.
The winners from the pool of 100 entrants will now go on to compete against the finalists from the Eastern and Southern Regions in the pan-African awards final in Nairobi, Kenya on 26 May.
The only Western region award to go to a country other than Ghana was that of Young Broadcaster of the Year, which was won by Ibukunoluwa Sammi from Ray Power FM in Nigeria. Sports Journalist of the Year was not awarded as the judges deemed the entries to be sub-standard.
Whilst the judges were keen to stress that the awards were allocated purely on the basis of merit, and that nationality was not a consideration, they could not deny that Ghana’s dominance in the first ever such awards is a sign of the preeminence of Ghana’s media in the region. The judges praised the experience and professionalism of Ghana’s broadcast media, which was reflected in the sophistication of the market. Indeed it would appear that Ghanaians are doubly lucky, as not only do they have an impressive choice of stations to tune into, but this choice also results in raised standards because of the high level of competition for listeners. The judges identified this as a key factor behind the high overall quality of Ghana’s radio stations, with stations competing like gladiators to win and retain audiences.
The relatively long history and high level of training within Ghanaian radio journalism was seen as the underlying foundation which gave Ghanaian stations the edge over their competitors from other West African nations.
Citi FM was praised for displaying “creativity, originality and ambition for a young station in an already crowded radio market”. Their Breakfast Show received special recognition as “one of the most loved shows” on the airwaves in Ghana, helping shape and fine-tune the way media work is carried out in Ghana.
The judges said the station “showed exceptional political maturity” combined with engaging delivery and incisive questioning in dealing with a range of topics such as irresponsible fathers, sexual favours for employment and free condoms for students.
Joy FM won Radio Station of the Year as well as being singled out for their coverage of child abuse and incest through what the judges described as the “heart-wrenching story” of a seven-year-old girl who was raped by her 62 year-old grandfather.
The station was commended for the use of this poignant story to illustrate a national problem, and the initiative they took in raising funds totaling $6000 for reconstructive surgery needed by the little girl, who was severely damaged by the abuse she suffered.
