GH One TV should apologise for what happened on 'The Pundits'

For the very first time, I found myself watching an entertainment show and fuming with anger.

George Quaye, the host of one of Ghana’s finest entertainment program on TV, The Pundit moderated one of the most below par show you’d ever see on TV and this includes political sports show.

On Tuesday, 26 of Septemeber, a gentleman with the name Isaac Kyei Andoh who was introduced as the new Deputy Communications’ Director was brought onto the show alongside two other panellists by the name: Sally and Halifax respectively.

What was supposed to be a show to educate and inform us on the RTP Awards ended up being interrogation of three on one side and the RTP Representative on the other side.

As a host, it is your duty to strategically draw the answers you seek from your guest without making them feel their point was stupid.

But George didn’t go that way: from the very first response of the guy, which to me wasn’t a bad one, he took to evaluating his answer and questioning his motive.

This opened the floodgate for the panellists to start denigrating the guest. Every question they asked, they wanted him to answer it their way and that none slipped through without at least a disrespectful comment from one of them.

The panellist called Halifax in particular gave a clear indication that he had an agenda and wanted to embarrass the guy who did very well in the face of abuse from two panellists and a cheeky host who could only look on.

His posture, choice of words and approach was shameful and there was no way he’d have been allowed to continue on that tangent with a fair and competent host moderating.

When you find yourself caught up in such an ambush on live television, it certainly become very difficult for you because you have to waste energy trying to keep your emotions under check and respond to the issue at the same time.

This is why as a psychologist; I rate the RTP reps performance so high because it was close to impossible situation created for him on the night.

Being a newly appointed staff of the Awards, and the host fully aware of this: he had a responsibility of creating a friendly environment for him to feel comfortable because his ability to deliver was key to the success of the program on the day.

But the Pundit of Tuesday looked designed to attack the RTP Awards and belittle the young man who represented them and if the response on social media is something to go by: then they failed.

I also think that the statement from Organisers of RTP Awards to condemn the host and expand it to Charter House was needless but I can understand their frustration. A night to sell their product was dedicated to running it down.

That said, the comment on the Facebook Page of GH One should have calmed them but who am I to complain if the same sentiments could not prevent me from writing the second article in my 45 years of existence on earth.

Out of the over 180 comments on the Gh One TV Facebook Page, over 160 condemned the host and his panellists and that alone should have drawn George’s attention to the craziness going on.

When it was time to read viewers comments on Facebook, he shamelessly skipped almost all of them because they were all attack on the show and praise for the young man.

Of the four people on the show, he was the only one who acted with dignity in spite of being abused all night.

Management of Gh One TV should apologise for that catastrophic show because it was a waste of everyone’s time and a needless attack on The Awards and their Deputy Communications Director.