Untouchable KAB - More than just radio presenter

Behind the console of 97.3 Citi fm every Saturday between  12pm to 4pm  is one presenter in the radio industry who has carve  an niche for himself to  play songs brewed right here in Ghana -   Kofi Ansong Baffour known on  the airwaves as KAB.

Born on the 23 of February  in the late 70’s he started climbing his  education ladder at  CKC  Baptist Complex at Mpreaso where he did only  three years and then left for Accra to continue  in TEPS preparatory  school in Teshie Nungua Estates. He then did his junior secondary education in WAJIR Barracks JSS also in Teshie.

He headed back to the eastern region and Mpreaso secondary school (MPASS) was where he completed his SSSCE as General Art Student in 1998.  KAB says after SSS he wanted to do tourism so he enrolled at HOTCATT a tourism school to do ground handling skills, tour guiding and social skills.

He later worked with a travel and tour firm for a year and then decided to go on radio because of the passion he has for it.

KAB said during his early age when he was staying with his father he use to listen to Maa Efia Konadu, Sekyere Boateng and Maa Fia Benewah then on GBC radio  and one  program he always listen to is ” aware so” which this reporter finds  very strange  considering his  age at that time.

KAB who said he has really come a long way when it comes to urban radio said he his first point of call was at Life Fm 98.7 in Nkawkaw. He said he went for funeral when he heard of audition going on at the  station ( Life Fm 98.7)  so he decided to try his luck, unfortunately  when he got there the  selection was over but a good friend of him later  introduce him to the then programs manager Davies Odeneho Appiah now  with Adom fm.

According to KAB, he was asked to do a demo and to his amazement he played for only two minutes and he was taken and that very day he was given the opportunity to go on air with Davis Odeneho Appiah (who he said is his Godfather when it comes to radio) to do the   Drive Time Program.

KAB said he was later asked to be the Liberian for the station since recruitment has already been done before he came in. And for three months as he worked as a Liberian another opportunity came on his way again and this time as a regular presenter for the late night program which  starts from 10:00pm to 12:00 midnight when the station close down.

KAB said “I worked there for eight months until Mr. Dankwa an investor approached me to help him establish a radio station. I then left Life Fm for Accra together with Mr. Dankwa with the intension of helping him set up a radio station but found myself working as a Branch Manager with Metalex Company Ltd at Tema, producers of louver frames, filing cabinets and metal trunks which is owned by Mr. Dankwa”.

For a year KAB worked with the company and at the same time worked with Meridian Fm 100.5 on part- time basis until Management decided to transfer him to the head office in Accra and this time to help him start the radio station.

KAB says when he got to Accra Mr. Dankwa had already acquired a license to operate the station. “I was made the supervisor over the project to make sure the dream of establishing the radio station comes true”.

As a determined person who wanted to achieve success in whatever he does, KAB says he brought in an importer who helped him in buying and the importation of the equipment needed for the station and he did every thing to establish the station, from the naming of the station, (Obouba fm), to recruitment, to jingles and the logo of the station.

He worked there as the programs manager and also as a management member as well as a presenter of the Drive Time Show and later the Morning Show but he did this when the host traveled outside the country.

So why did you leave Obouba Fm I asked him? In response KAB said after eight months of hard work at  Obouba Fm, the Management  transferred me back to Metalex to help  rejuvenate  the his branch under the company  because  it was not functioning as expected. “I spent only two months just to add up to my two-year stay with the company.

I declined to extend my stay with the  company because I have invested so much in terms of human resources and financially  in setting up the station and its accessories, and  also due to my strong passion for radio I was not  ready to let this cherish, long awaiting  dream  go just like that”. At the end KAB said he has to resign because the pressure on him was getting intolerable.

So where did you go from there? I quickly interrupted “I went to Kumasi to pursue my passion in radio and lo and behold  when  I got to  Kumasi Hello fm was doing test transmission, I  then joined them, start  playing  at night from 12:00 midnight to 4:00 at dawn.

I did that for some time but I thought I was  been sidelined when it comes to abilities, performance and time allocation of programs although they have heard  a lot  about my exploits on Obouba Fm  but they were also  doubting  because  there was nobody there  to recommend me.

Then and again I had the chance to play at Fox Fm when the presenter who was handling the Rush  Hour  Program  left for Accra  and I was introduced by John Mensah Sarpong (JMS) to the director of the station to fill in and for which I did and I did it  very well”, he said happily.

As to a question on how come he landed at the Citi fm in Accra KAB has this to say. ” Amazingly I met the Managing Director of the station (i.e. 97.3 Citi fm) at a function in Koforidua and after a few deliberations I got to know that he was about to employ a presenter to handle  his local  musical show on  weekends, so we talked  it  over  and after he called Abieku Santana  of Adom fm to find from him whether  he has heard of me before and what I can do when it comes to radio, and Abieku  attested positively  and  that was all, I started working at Citi fm”.

At Citi Fm KAB plays on Saturdays from 12:00pm - 4:00 pm on the “All Hitz Weekend Show” and on Thursdays from 2:00 pm-3:00pm. He plays on every public holidays to wet the appetite of holiday makers in their homes and other holidaying avenues.

His dexterity to play variety of songs from highlife, hiplife, gospel among others makes his presentation unique in every sense of the word as his selections and mixes are second to none.

When it comes to “Poaching” the affable KAB thinks it is now part of our daily radio life but caution all presenters to consider where they’ve come from and as to who made them who they are before somebody comes to poach them.

When the reporter wanted whether he has been approach with these huge sums of monies before and as to whether there is any truth that he is moving to Oman FM? He said, indeed a few Accra based radio stations have approached him but he is not moving anywhere and as for Oman connection he said” it’s not true, all that I can say is that I’m working at Citi fm period”

KAB is not a married man but he is into a very deep into relationship with a beautiful woman called Matilda, who he says he loves so much and owe a lot to her. He doesn’t care much of what to wear but he will not reject cloths from MKOGH.

He is currently been clothed by TE-BILAZUU a young and creative fashion designer who is about to take the market by storm, Queen B and Ibn Mohammed Fashions and it is his to be clothed by Kwesi Nti’s TRIBE CLOTHLINE. Serve him Fufu and light soup and he will say a prayer for you.

Giving props to whom props is due, KAB says thank you first and foremost to the Almighty, to the MD of Citi Fm, Samuel Atta – Mensah, (SAMENS) to Davies Odeneho Appiah and Abeiku Santana all of Adom Fm, and to her lovely wife to be Matilda who he says is his source of inspiration. At his leisure time he likes to write.