By Erica Baffloe
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), is 88 years old today. A pacesetter in the broadcasting space, the GBC is a force to be reckoned with in Ghana’s media space. The corporation has been a shining example, which has paved the way for other media houses to follow suit. At 88 years old, the GBC, if it were human, should have bowed out of service, but this is absolutely the opposite, as it still stands tall in media practice in Ghana today. As it celebrates another milestone this year, some Ghanaians expect the corporation to do more to bring back the love. Some of them, who talked about some of their favourite programmes, said bringing back some of those programmes on both television and radio will be a dream come true.
“Yes, I quite remember one programme that I used to listen to so very much, and that is the everyday English, which was hosted by lawyer Komm of blessed memory. It was a very nice programme. In the morning, a lot of us learnt a lot of good spoken English from that programme. And then another programme called ‘Your Choice’. Those things actually brought a lot of us to GBC.”
Another person said, “I can remember a particular programme on GBC TV, ‘Greetings from abroad’. It was hosted by Fritz Baffuor and later Nana Adwoa Awindor.”
On how the corporation can remain relevant in its 88 years of existence, some of them asked that the GBC revive some of its old programmes.
“They should go back to their roots and revive old programmes with new technology and new machinery and employ young and qualified staff. We love GBC.”
“GBC TV, they should recruit young people. We need new things. So, I think they should bring back the olden days shows like Obra, Everyday English, Your Choice, and all that. Because those shows are going to differentiate them from other media houses.”
Broadcasting began in Ghana on July 31, 1935, from a wired relay station opened in Accra. The brain behind the introduction of broadcasting in the country was the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Arnold Hodson, affectionately known as the “Sunshine Governor. Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, inaugurated television for black and white screens in 1965. Consequently, both radio and television became the main components of GBC’s electronic outlets for information dissemination.
Undoubtedly, the public still has faith in the GBC and wants it to reintroduce some old programmes as well as introduce more entertaining ones. This is certainly a call the GBC may want to consider. But 88 years is no joke, and we can only wish the state broadcaster well.
Happy anniversary to the GBC.