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BBC Launches 104.7FM in Ghana’s Oil City

March 9, 2011   ·   0 Comments

By Kwamena JAFFULL -Ghana

The BBC  has launched BBC 104.7FM in Ghana’s Western Region, from a transmitter based just outside the oil city capital, Sekondi-Takoradi.  The Region is the third largest media market in that part of the West African nation. The transmission will reach parts of the Central Region and provide coverage along important transport routes in its fourteen districts.

BBC’s investment in a second 24/7 dedicated FM in Ghana gives audiences in and around the Western Region the opportunity to hear the full range of BBC programmes. BBC 104.7FM will broadcast news and current affairs programmes, sports and documentaries.

At Skyy House where the service was launched, Simon Kendall, Head of Business Development at BBC Global News, said: “We are absolutely committed to our audiences in Africa and delivering our content on FM, whether through relays or with partnerships, will be a big part of that commitment. Our investment in BBC 104.7FM will help us reach a wider audience in Ghana, growing our connection with listeners in this important country.”

Solomon Mugera, Editor, Africa, said: “Audiences are at the heart of everything we do at the BBC; the launch of BBC 104.7 FM brings the BBC much closer to its audience, offering them a range of African and world news and current affairs programmes. Audiences also have the opportunity to tune to live Premiership match commentary every Saturday and Sunday.”

To mark the launch of the transmitter World Have Your Say – the BBC’s award-winning global interactive news discussion show on radio and TV – will be at Skyy House in Takoradi to broadcast a special launch show at 6pm. Hosted by Nuala McGovern, the programme will be connecting audiences in Ghana with people around the world. On a day that celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women over the last century, the programme will debate the following question: “Why do so many men around the world think it is okay to harass and sexually assault women?”

Hosted on the BBC’s international news services – on radio (BBC World Service) and on TV (BBC World News) – the show is a global conversation, with the agenda set by everyone taking part. The show uses different technology to enable as many people as possible in different parts of the world to join the debate via bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay, Twitter (@bbc_whys), Facebook (World Have Your Say), telephone and on air.

The Western Region of Ghana has a twin city Sekondi-Takoradi as its capital now the oil city resting on the coast, coastal Axim and a hilly inland area including Elubo, that reaches from the Côte d’Ivoire border in the west, to the Central Region in the east. It includes Ghana’s southernmost location, Cape Three Points.

The region has the highest rainfall in Ghana, verdant green hills and fertile soils. There are numerous small and large-scale gold mines. The culture is dominated by the Nzema, Wassa, Aowin, Sefwi, Ahanta branches of the Akan culture, and the main languages are Fante, Wassa, Sefwi, Ahanta, Nzema and English. The religions are predominantly Christian and African Traditional Religions.

The founder of modern independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah was born (and later temporarily buried) in the village of Nkroful, west of Axim where he once taught school in the 1930′s.

The largest rivers are the Ankobra River, The Bia River, the Pra River in the east and the Tano River partly forming the western national border. The area is known for the village of Nzulezo built entirely on stilts and platforms over water, and the Ankasa Protected Area. There is a series of imposing Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Brandenburgian forts along the coast, built from 1512 on.

The Region has a lot of post-secondary schools like Teacher and Nursing colleges, Polytechnics and a university at Tarkwa, the University of Mines and Technology.

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