Indigenizing radio in Ghana
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media
Abstract
Radio is hailed as Africa’s medium of choice in the global communication age.
Introduced as a colonial tool of information, education and entertainment in the
early 1930s, radio broadcasting was mainly in colonial languages as colonial
administrators perceived local language broadcasting a threat to their empire
building and ‘civilization’ agendas. The fortunes of local language broadcasting
did not dramatically change in the independence era when broadcast media were
in the firm control of the state. From the beginning of the twenty-first century,
however, mostly resulting from a more liberalized media environment, local
language broadcasting has undergone unprecedented growth. Drawing on written
archival material, including internal communication among policy-makers, audi ence letters, key informant interviews and findings from a recent audience study,
this article charts the progressive development of local language radio broadcast ing in Ghana, and engages with the role played by early audiences and broadcast ers in indigenizing broadcast content.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
radio, Ghana, global communication age