Joy FM highlights developmental issues with "Hotline"

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - An Accra based radio station, Joy FM and a memb= er of the Multi-media Group will from Thursday, February 4 February start airing a half-hour radio show dubbed: 93Hotline." The programme to be aired at 0830 hours as part of the morning show will highlight developmental issues that go to the heart of critical issues affecting ordinary Ghanaians everywhere.

Ms Sylvia Vollenhoven, an award winning South African Journalist and a Knight Development Journalism Fellow in Ghana, who is also responsible for training the Hotline team and assist with the development of the concept, said at the launch of the programme that: 93The show combines quality journalism, with hard hitting documentaries to ensure a hotline to the corridors of power and to the problem solvers." Hotline will be broadcast on the Super Morning Show with Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and the audience can phone in to air their views. Listeners' will also be able to interact on air with the journalist who has produced the stories.

The story line-up in the coming weeks include 93a tale of an orphana= ge where babies have narrowly escaped ritual murder", 93the devastating eff= ects of on-going violence in the Upper East Region", 93whether the shaky truc= e will hold" and 93Accra's public Transport crisis" among other intrig= uing stories. Professor Kwame Karikari, Chairman of the Media Foundation for West Africa lauded Joy FM for the initiative while bemoaning the use of insults and unethical expression on radio. "There has been a growing public demand for improved journalism," he said. Prof Karikari said there was the need for journalists to be well prepared before went on air, saying: 93I suspect some people go to the microphone without even brushing their teeth."

Mr Elvis Kwashie, Managing Editor of Joy FM said the focus of the station this year was to broadcast matters to the ordinary Ghanaian and not the politician. "What matters to our listeners, matters to us," he stressed.