The GM, Nicholas Mensah receiving the prize
Dynamite FM’s French programme, Bon Appétit has been adjudged the best French radio programme in Ghana.
The French Embassy in Ghana and the Institut Français Ghana with an objective of helping develop French content on radio to make the language accessible to as many Ghanaians and other nationals as possible partnered with various institutions to create the necessary content or strengthen the already existing shows on their radio stations.
The partnership with various institutions; including universities, technical universities and university colleges in Ghana began in April 2022.
The focus was to help listeners develop communicative competencies to impact their businesses, education and social life among others as well as getting entertained.
To this end, there was a call for applications for projects that saw many private and public institutions submitting French radio projects to that effect.
Out of the many applications the RadioF team (the team responsible for overseeing the radio projects till 31st December 2022) received, five French radio programmes from various tertiary institutions in the country were selected including Bon appétit on Dynamite 88.9 FM.
The institutions that got their French radio programmes selected included; the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT)-Tarkwa, Ho Technical University, Ashesi University, Mount Mary College of Education -Somanya and the University for Development Studies-Tamale.
These institutions were assisted with some logistics by the French Embassy in Ghana through Institut Français Ghana to ensure visibility and general production of the shows.
Institutions that didn’t have their own radio stations had to partner stations within their communities to air their programmes.
Bon Appétit, the French radio programme for UMaT, began airing on Dynamite FM in August 2021. However, the contract between Dynamite FM and the French Embassy in connection with their selection to air Bon Appétit started on 25th April 2022 and is expected to run till 31st December 2022.
All five selected French radio programmes were asked to send one of their full shows for assessment by a jury of experts in radio from Radio France Internationale (RFI) France, the French Embassy, and Ghana.
At a ceremony to launch a documentary on each of the selected radio station and universities/colleges as a project document for the RadioF team, and to assess the various shows in terms of their structure, how the French language is being taught on the shows and the potential impact of the programmes on listeners.
After much deliberations and having listened to all the shows from the five selected radio stations, the jury adjudged Dynamite FM's Bon Appétit show as the overall best French radio programme in Ghana.
The station as its prize received a radio console (mixer), on-air light and other souvenirs. Français Facile of the radio station of Ho Technical University came second with Mount Mary College of Education becoming third.
The host of the Bon Appétit programme on Dynamite FM, Mr James Kwaku Dumenyah who is also a lecturer of French at the Department of Technical Communication, UMaT, expressed his gratitude to the French Embassy in Ghana, Institut Français Ghana, Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) and RFI for the recognition of hard work and their support in training the hosts of the various programmes and making the programme impactful.
He also acknowledged the former Vice Chancellor, Prof J. S. Y. Kuma, the current Vice Chancellor Prof R. K. Amankwah and management of UMaT, the former Dean of International Programmes, Assoc Prof Mrs P. B. Mireku-Gyimah and the current Dean in the person of Assoc Prof C. Boye, current and previous heads of department (HoDs) of Department of Technical Communication, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) - Dr Cecilia Addei, Assoc Prof Saviour Mantey and Dr Evans Kokroko and current dean of FIMS - Assoc Prof James Dankwah for the various roles they played in ensuring that Bon appétit show is what it is today.
Mr Dumenyah, the originator of the Bon appétit show has been working tirelessly week after week to create content for listeners. He acknowledged the key role the General Manager of Dynamite FM Mr Nicholas Mensah has been playing to get the show on air every week. According to him, “Mr. Mensah always makes his expertise in radio available to the team and this has helped tremendously in improving the show week after week”.
He also expressed his appreciation for the team of student volunteers he has been working with.
“These students make time to meet with him to go through the scripts before going on air thereby making the show interactive,” he added.
