A tale of three talkshows

I always look forward to Saturday mornings because the most exciting radio talk show programs take over the airwaves and I get thorn between three talk shows which can arguably be described as the three most popular talk shows on Saturday Radio. It is a battle monitoring these three programs simultaneously. Alhaji and Alhaji airs between 8:30am to 12 noon. News file 10am to 12 noon and Citi fm’s big issue between 9am and 11am.

Alhaji and Alhaji has been around for a while and I must confess it is very popular amongst NDC members, especially when you monitor the feedback through the text messages read on air, some say it is the most dreaded amongst the three talk shows. What I find unfortunate about this show is that the major opposition party hardly appears on the program, once in a while the soft spoken Mr longdon will make an appearance …imagine a mouse locked in cage with four fierce cats, that is how I can best describe the pro NDC commentators and the lonely Mr Longdon. I believe Radio Gold must at least reserve two seats for the NPP. Most of the time the program becomes one sided when people like Mr Sam Pee Yalley, Good old Dr. Tony Aidoo and the king of talk Mr. Kwesi Pratt are at what they love best criticizing the NPP. Hardly does the host Mr Suhini read text messages from opposition members, perhaps NPP sympathizers do not listen to the program or perhaps they do but will not contribute through text messages or could it be Mr Suhini deliberately ignores comments from NPP sympathizers?

When you hear Mr Kwaku Baako’s voice the one who oftens says “lets interrogate the issue”on a Saturday morning, then your guess is as good as mine, newsfile one of Joyfms popular program now hosted by Kwaku Sakyi Addo is definitely on air . I must admit Joy tries as much as possible to present a balanced panelist. I.e Mr Kofi Adams and the moderate Mr Haruna Idrisu vrs NPP sympathizer Kwaku Baako on one side of the ring with Dan Botwe. Txt messages read on Joys program are also fairly balanced it is not as one sided as Radio Golds Alhaji and Alhaji.

Kwaku Baako is synonymous to Joy whiles Mr John Ndebugri can be described as a resident panelist of the Adabraka based Citi Fm political radio show. Big Issue is another successful talk show on Saturday radio hosted by Richard Skyy. It has some similarities to Joy Fm, they have a balance panelist, at least one each from all the political parties. The only difference with the Citi fm program has to do with the last fifteen minutes of the program where listeners are given the opportunity to phone in and make contributions to the discussions. The phone ins and text messages are quite balanced reflecting views and opinions from all the political divide.

Author: Kwame Abotsi (Talkshow Analyst) Contact: kaboatse@gmail.com