Media conglomerate, Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (Happy FM, YFM, e.TV Ghana) has paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
The celebrated media giants were in Parliament to congratulate the Speaker Bagbin on his election to the high office of Speakership, introduce it’s current affairs properties on Happy 98.9fm and e.tv Ghana and also engage him on a number of critical issues affecting the country, particularly the media and journalists.
Director of Broadcasting at Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company {GMABC}, Timothy Karikari Kwakye has enumerated some concerns he believes hinders the progress of media in the country.
‘’A media owner or Manager has to pay salaries, bills, pay regulatory and statutory fees among others. He is able to do this mostly through revenue generated from advertisers. Advertisers are interested in numbers to justify their spend. Media houses have realised this and would therefore provide content to improve ratings and attract advertisers. Some media houses dedicate primetime to foreign content because they may have realised that viewers prefer these foreign content and so will broadcast it to get the ratings needed to attract advertisers. It is therefore important that we improve the industry by completing Digital Television Transmission and other projects that will strengthen the industry and make investments in media a viable thing to do ’’
Timothy Karikari also spoke about GMABC’s contribution to youth development initiatives embarked on by the YFM Triangle in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
‘’In responding to a few of the issues you raised, I would mention two of our brands; YFM which is currently Ghana’s number one youth station and if you expand the analysis, is the second most listened to English speaking station in Ghana.If you analyse the data, you will see that Ghana’s demographic is tilted towards the youth and therefore no doubt that YFM performs so well in the youth space and in the English speaking radio station space because we know how to focus on the youth creatively and professionally.
However, we realised that as the foremost station dedicated to young people, we have to gather our pool of followers and contribute to the national discourse so we started the YLeaderboard series and other programs of national interest where we bring leaders on board to inspire the youth.
About 13 years ago, our group purposed to advance niche radio in Ghana. Happy FM, also Ghana’s Number One Sports Station now focuses on Current Affairs as well and we would like to extend an invitation to all Honourable Members here and add that we will on call on you to be present on our shows as resource persons’’
For his part, the Speaker of Parliament expressed gratitude to the media and their role as the fourth estate of the realm.
‘’What I am saying here if people are to hear it, it will be from the media. If you don’t like my nose and decide to use different words from what I have said, it will convey different meaning to them. So the impact and effect of that meaning will reverberate and would cause either positive or negative vibes in the society. The media whether people like it or not can make or break society. Not the President or as I say those in power but it’s the people. My colleagues and I are here to see how together we can develop the country and most importantly how you will present yourself that you’re worthy.’’
He added that the utility value of the media is for public benefit.
‘’The media is not a private commodity; the media is a public utility. The utility value of the media is not for any private person. All that you do is for the public benefit. Throw light on dark corners, ensure that evil doesn’t thrive. Try to get people to be disciplined and serve the interest of the nation.”
