Telenovelas: Will they help drive the Ghanaian society?

TV Stations in Ghana are factually independent commercial broadcasters, and are as such at liberty to serve the public anything societal and legal. And as business entities, sponsorships play a prime role in selecting which programmes make the line-up frequently.

Nonetheless the stations have contributed immensely to the course of nation building by way of programmes broadcast. If programmes of various Ghanaian TV stations are to be appraised, there is the likelihood to have more pros outweighing the cons, confirming their indispensability in the society.

GTV’s National Maths & Science Quiz, TV3’s News 360, Metro TV’s MTN Soccer Academy, TV-Africa’s “Oman yi mu Nsem” and the likes are the numerous programmes instinctively educating, entertaining, informing, developing personalities and creating awareness to spice up the quest for nation building.

Telenovelas

A recent look at the number of telenovelas on our screens baffles if the wish for Mexican lifestyle is gradually relegating the major canons of educating, entertaining and informing posture which TV stations are supposed to take, and help communicate development across Ghana.

Starting from Hamile through Yeji to Aflao, and from Bawku through Ejura to Half-Assini, all households are served intensively with these telenovelas. Irrespective of the particular day in a week, you have the daily option of watching Choti bahor, La Loba, Marie Cruz, Orazon Indomable, Marimar, Curse by the Sea, Irrational Heart, Teresa, Joana, Women’s Sacrifice, Emerald Necklace, among others; all at the expense of promising Ghanaian programmes.

Genius programmes

Genius programmes rather form the weekly or even seasonal category of programmes for almost all the stations. And the earlier programme directors reconsider programme line-ups for Ghana, the better for us the youth and the entire country in the long run.

This piece does not suggest the domestication of programme line-ups for TV Stations, after all TV-Africa, which thrives on the foundational statement of “Projecting African Values”, has time for Malar Clara.

Rather this piece seeks to sensitise to how some genius initiative programmes, if promoted, can contribute immensely, far more than telenovelas. A telenovela simply is nothing more than a serial drama in, or of Latin American origin. They contribute virtually nothing to the hopes and aspired productivity of the country, but rather adulterate culture.

Unfortunately, telenovela series have rather gone viral infesting the programme line-ups of all the accessible TV Stations operated in Ghana.

Airing time

And the worrisome aspect is that from 2p.m. to 10p.m. each day (Sunday to Saturday), at least one of the most accessible stations (GTV, TV3, Metro TV, TV-Africa, U-TV, Viasat 1) busily serves a telenovela. And some time in the day almost simultaneously broadcast this economically inviable category of programmes.

Breaking monotony

Whilst operas and movies are to break monotony by buffering between lengthy hours of informative programmes, the other way round seems to be the picture of late. With some stations, a telenovela or movie paves the way for major news at 6:30p.m. or 7p.m., and another takes over immediately after. No wonder promising programmes like the Presidential Initiatives and project’ documentaries are rare, flashy and irregular on our screens.

Again, an agrarian, technology or manufacturing documentary like that of Great KOSA Vision has limited unsustainable time on our screens. The same cannot be said about telenovelas or movies of late.

At the juxtaposition of telenovelas and genius programmws like productivity documentaries, you will struggle throughout with the question “which would have viable aggregate effect on the Ghanaian economy?” I mean what if genius programmes are sponsored and promoted to receive household attentions just like how U-TV for instance, is doing for Marie Cruz?

Sponsorship

Undisputedly sponsorship has a major role in programming, but programme directors together with sponsorship teams can feasibly promote and serve viewers with genius and initiative programs like “Which Ghanaian is inventing or has invented what?”, “How employees became employers themselves”, “Documented landmark policies of other countries packaged with studio scrutiny by experts”, etc. This is the only way to use TV programming as tool to urge motivation in the quest for a ‘developed’ Ghana.

Inspirational feature

In an all-hands-on-deck situation, TV programme directors should also try and stand for the broadcasting of programmes intended to help breed and roll over national productivity syndrome, telenovelas lack this inspirational feature. As a developing nation, what do we seek to achieve with the ‘dominance’ of telenovelas? Wet the youth’s appetite for the Latin style of living? Learn the Mexican way of solving home and social issues? Or is the show of telenovela the cheapest means to buy out time from the day’s lengthy hours of programming? Obviously no.

Conclusion

In conclusion, TV programmes sink deep to the grass roots of Ghanaian communities, streaming of programmes which are capable of adding up to national productivity, together with corporate profitability will be the most efficient and judicious contribution of audiovisual media programmes to the cause of Ghana.

More of genius programmes such as I-Blogger, Talented kids, My life my story, Teleshop, Abrabo pa, Documentaries of national importance are needed.

Long live TV Stations! Shatter telenovelas!