PLUZZ FM’S DR. POUNDS: I’M IN NO COMPETITION WITH ABEIKU SANTANA

Entering a seemingly super-saturated radio afternoon show market, one would have thought Maximus Addae-Mensah a.k.a Dr. Pounds would come extra prepared, but Pluzz FM's Drive Time presenter says: “If you are asking about competition, let me surprise you; I'm not in one with any of them, though I know what my counterparts on rival stations- Abeiku Santana, Dr. Prekese, Okyerefour, Bola Ray and Kwame B, are capable of with their individual huge shares of the drive time market”, says 2007 Central region Best Radio Dj.

He adds: “however, I have a mission to impact people with Easy Drive; to always make my listeners happy the best way I can, at the same time alerting them about the existence of sad people around us”.

When he quit his Eagle FM (Central region) job on his last birthday, November 1, 2011, an even bigger job was waiting for him in Accra; at Pluzz 89.9FM, the Santa Maria-based station everyone is listening to.

His drive show was launched on Nov. 11 and hit the air on week days from 2pm to 6pm. It is delivered in quite equal blends of Fante (akan) and English languages. A typical Easy Drive starts with an hour and a half of gospel music interspersed with motivational words between 2pm and 3:30pm.

“Perhaps that is your reason for asking if I expect keen competition from Okay FM's Drive time presenter, Abeiku Santana who uses similar format and has been heard as saying he was the first presenter to try gospel music on drive time radio anywhere in Ghana. He may be funny and does his presentation with humour ; but I do my thing the way I feel will make my listeners' day”, he justifies. “And when the Pluzz Easy Drive show finally settles, it will consist of the following segments: Comedy Moment, sports Center, plus several other entertaining and giveaway sections.

DKB, a guest performer on Viasat One's Laugh a Minute (and host of It Runs in the Family) will host the Comedy Moment.

On his radio name, Dr. Pounce said: “I got the doctor part from radio listeners that think I make hits out of ordinary songs and also heal listeners with my music selections”. He personally added 'pounds' because 'sterllings' being the most valued currency, seeking to suggest he always seeks to be at the summit or among the best in everything he does.

How did Dr. Pounds get into radio business? “I started with a 3-month attachment at Radio Central in Cape Coast in the latter part of 2003. I moved to Cape Coast Polytechnic radio station, Eagle FM in 2004 and later consulted for Busy FM (also in the Central region) for 2 months. Prior to that in 2003, I had my first journalism/broadcasting training with Radio Klips. In 2007, I was named the best radio Dj in the Central region in an event organized annually by Media Heartbeat”.

Less than a month in the country's second most competitive drive time market (after the Kumasi market), he already seems to have created a positive relationship with musicians and relevant industry people. “I have been working closely in this industry for some time now. As for the musicians, they all know me. I've worked with lots of them from Bandana to Reggie Rockstone. I used to represent them in the region I came from. I promoted them, gave them jobs and sometimes advised them on the best songs to put out for promotion. When a new artiste brings me a song to promote, I assess the song and where necessary, help them with free consultation on what they could do to ensure they are putting only songs listeners can easily fall in love; even if it means advising them to go back to studios to rework on the songs.

Dr. Pounds completed Cape Coast Poly in the Central region in 2009. In 2004, he obtained his A-Plus and N-Plus Certification at NIIT.

Lastly, he says: “My philosophy in radio is to reduce the already heavy pressure on people as best as I can. Like the station's tagline, I will attempt to make people happy- that's ADD MORE TO THEIR LIFE. In turn I will be letting these same people know that there are real sad people around us”. Easy Drive is produced by a youthfully vibrant team led by the station's Programmes Manager, Fiifi Selah Botchway.