Keep political affiliations to yourself – Radio hosts advised

Radio hosts in Ghana, primarily hosts of political shows have been advised to not make public their political affiliations.

Veteran Ghanaian Broadcaster, Tommy Annan Forson describes radio presenters as referees who should not reveal their political affiliations either by word of mouth or by conduct.

“We all have political affiliations but as a radio host, you should better keep it to yourself. Radio is like sports commentary, it should have the same momentum throughout. There are times you listen to our local commentary and the way and manner in which the commentator shouts a goal or speaks about infractions in the game, you will know the team they support. But when you watch the premier league it is different. You will find it difficult to know which teams commentators support as they use the same enthusiasm throughout and that’s what we should emulate here in Ghana’s media space,” he shared with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.

According to him, some radio owners also manipulate radio hosts to tow political lines to serve their purposes, an act he considers wrong.

These radio owners who are mainly politicians have a higher form of manipulation which Tommy Annan Forson argues needs to be addressed immediately.

“We need to make sure that radio and television give us a balanced programming,” he added.

World Radio Day is celebrated every year on February 13 to mark the important role that radio plays in our lives and society. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, and its history can be traced back to the first International Radio Conference in Geneva in 1974.

The theme for World Radio Day 2023 is ‘Radio and Peace’ which focuses on the role of radio as an independent medium of peacemaking.