In Remembrance of Cris Tackie — A Colossus of Broadcasting in Ghana

The broadcasting industry in Ghana has lost one of its great stalwarts. A real colossus of Broadcasting in Ghana

Cris Nii Yaoboi Tackie, known simply to many as Cris Tackie. Cris was laid to rest in Accra on Saturday, 26 September 2026.

For generations of broadcasters and radio listeners, Cris Tackie was much more than a broadcaster. He was a creator, teacher, writer, producer, director and mentor whose influence continues to live on in Ghanaian broadcasting.

His biography describes him as a “Colossus of Broadcasting in Ghana.”

That description was not simply because of the positions he held. It was earned through creativity, hard work, discipline and an extraordinary understanding of radio and its audience.

Cris Tackie was the originator of some of Ghana’s most memorable radio programmes.

One of them, “What Do You Know?”, the popular quiz programme covering an astonishing range of subjects — from Archaeology to Zoology — continues to be broadcast today.

And for older listeners, the names alone can bring back memories:

“Watch These Things.”
“Goal Drafting Time.”
“Spelling B.”
“Let’s Go Shopping.”
“Friday Night is Disco Time.”

These were not simply programmes on a radio schedule. They became part of the listening experience of a generation.

Cris was also a celebrated presenter and co-producer of “Be My Guest.” He was involved in numerous drama series and worked across almost every aspect of broadcasting — as a writer, producer, director and playwright.

But where did all this come from?

Perhaps part of the answer can be found in his early life.

Cris was born on 23 August 1940 in Kumasi, to Mr Columbus Tackie and Madam Mary Oforiwaa Akuffo.

He was also a grandson of His Royal Majesty King Tackie Yaoboi I, the late Ga Mantse and Paramount Chief of the Ga State.

He was therefore a royal by lineage. But those who knew him remember that he carried that heritage with humility and dignity.

He attended Presbyterian Boys Basic School, had a brief stint at Odorgonnо Secondary School, and completed his secondary education at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School.

He later gained admission to the University of Ghana, Legon.

Even in his youth, music and entertainment were already part of his world. Early on in life, he supported his friend Mr Daniels as a DJ at the legendary Dan’s Paradise Club.

Then came broadcasting.

His career at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation would take him far beyond the studio.

His professional excellence took him to the BBC in Britain, where he emerged as Overall Best Student in an International Broadcasting Course. He also travelled to Germany and France for further professional training.

At GBC, he rose through the ranks to become Director of Sound Broadcasting and Special Assistant to the Director-General, before retiring in 2000.

Perhaps one of Cris Tackie’s greatest contributions was not the programmes he created or the positions he occupied.

It was the people he trained.

For many years, he lectured at the Ghana Broadcasting Training School, and many of the familiar voices that passed through GBC Radio received training and guidance from him.

Those who knew him as a teacher remember something very particular about Cris Tackie:

his ear for language. He was known for his impeccable pronunciation.

A broadcaster could make an error on air, and Cris would catch it. He was quick to correct a wrongly pronounced word or other broadcasting mistake.

He believed that broadcasting was a profession that demanded preparation, discipline and attention to detail.

He could even recommend broadcasters whose performance on air was not good enough to return to the GBC Training School for further training.

He was demanding; because he cared about the craft.

I did not have the privilege of working directly with Cris Tackie, but as a news person at GBC, I felt his influence.

You could hear it in the way news presenters handled the English language — the care with which words were pronounced, the attention to detail and the insistence that a broadcaster should get it right.

You may not have sat in his classroom, but you could still feel the standard he set.

Looking back, I only wish we still had more opportunities to learn from people like Cris — broadcasters who had spent years mastering their craft and were willing to share what they knew with those coming after them.

While broadcasting has changed and technology has transformed the way we communicate, the value of good voices, good language, discipline and excellence remains. That perhaps, is one of Cris Tackie’s most enduring legacies — the knowledge and standards he passed on to those who came after him.

Beyond broadcasting, Cris loved reading, writing, music and football.

He was the only faithful supporter of Kumasi Asante Kotoko football team in the house. Yet the rivalry between Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak was healthy. It was even more fun when the entire family supports the national team,  Black Stars.

Those who knew him also remember a man who was kind, loving, disciplined, hardworking and deeply God-fearing.

Cris Tackie died on 15 June 2026, leaving behind his wife, nine children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Perhaps the most fitting way to remember a broadcaster is through the very thing he gave his life to: the voice.

For decades, Cris Tackie’s voice and ideas travelled through Ghanaian homes.

He helped create programmes that entertained, educated and informed.

He trained voices that went on to speak to generations of Ghanaians and he helped establish standards that others carried forward.

Today, his own voice has fallen silent.

However, the programmes he created, the broadcasters he trained, the words he carefully taught people to pronounce, and the memories he left with generations of listeners continue to speak.

Then came the final farewell.

The obonu throbbed. The pallbearers danced, Nii Yaoboi, a prince of the Tackie royal lineage, danced his way to the ancestors.

It was a farewell that was unmistakably Ghanaian — music, movement, tradition and remembrance coming together to accompany one of broadcasting’s great voices on his final journey.

Nii Yaoboi, your voice may be silent, but your legacy will continue to echo on the airwaves of Ghana.

Rest well in the bosom of the Lord.

Ya wo ojogbann!

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