MFWA’s Monitoring of Language used on Radio

Report for August 11 - 17


Radio Presenter, Party Communicators are Main Culprits

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) monitoring of language used on 134 programmes on 26 radio stations during the week of August 11-17 reveals a continuing decline in the use of indecent language on radio.

While the reduction in the number of indecent expressions on radio is a positive development, it is extremely worrying that party communicators and radio presenters were the main culprits of indecent expressions during the week covered by this report.

Party communicators (rather than serial callers) accounted for five (5) of the eleven (11) indecent expressions recorded. Kwame Alfred, morning show presenter on the Nsawam-based Oxy FM, was cited for using three (3) different indecent expressions on his programme – the only person and a broadcaster to have been cited three (3) times in one week in the ongoing monitoring.

Predictably, the focus of radio discussions during the period of this report was the election petition before the Supreme Court and the appearance of the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a leading member of the Young Patriots, Mr. Hopeson Adoye, before the Court.

Findings on Category of Expressions Used
Overall, 11 indecent expressions were recorded. The indecent expressions cut across five (5) categories. Unsubstantiated allegations continued to be the dominant category, followed by offensive and provocative remarks. Table 1 below presents a breakdown of all the 11 indecent expressions recorded:



Table 1: Categories of Indecent Expressions Recorded

Category Frequency
Unsubstantiated Allegations 4
Offensive Remarks 3
Provocative Remarks 3
Remarks calling for Confrontation/Violence 1

Total 11


Expressions used and Political Party Affiliation

Individuals belonging to three (3) political parties – the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) – were cited as having used indecent expressions. Table 2 below contains the distribution of the categories of indecent expressions used and the political affiliation of the culprits:

Table 2: Expressions Used and Party Affiliation of Culprits

Categories of expressions used Political Party Affiliation

NPP NDC NDP Not Known Total
Unsubstantiated Allegations 3 0 0 1 4
Offensive Remarks 0 1 0 2 3
Provocative Remark 2 0 1 3
Remarks calling for confrontation/ Violence 0 0 0 1 1
Total 5 1 1 4 11

In the course of the monitoring, one conciliatory and pacifist remark was made by Mr. Emmanuel Atefoah Danso of the NPP which is worth mentioning.

? Mr Emmanuel Atefoah Danso said on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News of 16th August, 2013: “Like we’ve said on many platforms and beyond, we have pledged our unflinching commitments to the resolve of this country and we still stand by it.... and for us the message is very clear, this country is the only country we have and we don’t want people to do things to disturb the peace of this country and that we still stand by … we will not do anything to disturb the peace we are enjoying today.”

Categories of Indecent Expressions and the Culprits

Unsubstantiated allegations
1. John Donyina, Communications Director of the NPP in Techiman South Constituency – on Classic FM’s Big Breakfast Show of August 13, 2013

2. Yaw Buaben Asamoah, Deputy Communications Director of the NPP – on Oman FM’s National Agenda of August 15, 2013

3. Apraku Tuffour, a member of the NPP’s communication team in the Brong Ahafo Region – on Space FM’s Morning Flight programme of August 13, 2013

4. Kwame Alfred, Host of Oxy FM’s morning show (Oxy Talk) – on his programme aired on August 12, 2013

Offensive Remarks
1. Kwame Alfred, host of Oxy FM’s Oxy Talk programme, on August 12, 2013 read a text message which contained offensive remarks

2. Kwame Alfred, host of Oxy FM’s Oxy Talk – on August 12, 2013

Rebroadcast
3. An interviewee who was identified as Baba and an affiliate of the NDC– on Radio A1’s “Nyetaa Saha” programme of August 12, 2013 restated an indecent expression made by an NPP activist in 2010 which had been widely condemned

Provocative

1. A caller from Mamprusi-line, Techiman, who identified himself as Paul Naliku (a.k.a The Saint – a known NPP serial caller) – on Classic FM’s Big Breakfast Show of August 13, 2013

2. Mr Ernest Owusu Bempah, Deputy Communications Director of the NDP – on OmanFM’s Boiling Point programme of August 15, 2013

3. Mr Kennedy Kankam, NPP Organiser, Ashanti Region – on Adom FM’s DwasoNsem programme of August 12, 2013

Confrontational remarks
1. Mr. Adugbire Adoleyine, Host of “Nyetaa Saga “(Gurene Hour) programme on Radio A1 aired on August 12, 2013 restated the purported contemptuous and pro-violence comments made by Mr. Hopeson Adoye of the Young Patriots of the NPP

Note: As a policy, the MFWA does not publish the indecent expressions recorded. This is informed by the fact that rebroadcasting the specific indecent expressions will amplify such expressions and their potentially negative ramifications. The specific expressions made by people cited in our reports are, however, available at the MFWA.

Radio Stations on which Indecent Expressions were recorded
Out of the 26 radio stations monitored, indecent expressions were recorded on six (6) of them. Oxy FM recorded the highest (3) indecent expressions. Significantly, all those expressions were used by the presenter of the station’s Oxy Talk programme, Kwame Alfred.

Table 3: Radio Stations on which Indecent Expressions were recorded

Radio Station Frequency
OXY FM 3

Classic FM 2
Oman FM 2
Radio A1 2
Space FM 1
Adom FM 1
TOTAL 11

Conclusion
The findings in this report points to a need for political parties to actively engage their communicators on the need to refrain from the use of indecent expression while representing their respective parties on media programmes.

It is also important for radio station managers and owners to take keen interest in maintaining professional standards on their networks. Programme presenters and editors will have to, at this stage, exercise their gatekeeping responsibility responsibly and professionally.

Last week, the MFWA presented findings from its first 10 days of monitoring with names of culprits to the national chairmen of the NPP and the NDC, Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and Dr. Kwabena Adjei, respectively. The Report was presented to the two party leaders just a day after they publicly committed to dealing with recalcitrant members of their respective parties. The report was thus presented to the two party leaders with the hope that they will take actions against their members who were cited in the report.

The MFWA will again present this report to the NPP and the NDC, hoping that the chairmen of the two parties will do as they promised by publicly sanctioning their members who are cited.

Copies of this report will again be presented to the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the National Media Commission (NMC) and the National Communication Authority (NCA). The three media stakeholders have all made public commitments to ensure professionalism on the airwaves.

The MFWA is also calling on the media in general to uphold the ethics of the profession and take up their rightful place in the campaign for peace. Moderators of political and current affairs programmes in particular are being entreated to dedicate at least a minute on their programmes to promote peace on their respective programmes especially as the day for the ruling of the Election Petition draws closer.