ARE THESE TELENOVELAS THE PROGRAMS TO HELP DRIVE THE GHANAIAN SOCIETY?

TV Stations in Ghana are factually independent commercial broadcasters, and are as such at liberty to serve the public anything societal and legal. And as business entities, sponsorships play a prime role in selecting which programs make the line-up frequently. Nonetheless the stations have contributed immensely to the course of nation building by way of programs broadcasted. Confidently if programs of various Ghanaian TV Stations are to be appraised, there is the likelihood to have more pros outweighing the cons, confirming their indispensability in the society. GTV's National Maths & Science Quiz, TV3's News 360, Metro TV's MTN Soccer Academy, TV-Africa's “Oman yi mu Nsem” and the likes are the numerous programs instinctively educating, entertaining, informing, developing personalities and creating awareness to spice up the quest for nation building.

Meanwhile, a recent look at the number of telenovelas on our screens baffles if the wish for Mexican lifestyle is gradually relegating the major canons of educating, entertaining and informing posture which TV stations are suppose to take, and help communicate development across Ghana. Starting from Hamile through Yeji to Aflao, and from Bawku through Ejura to Half-Assini, all households are served intensively with these inviable telenovelas. Irrespective of the particular day in a week, you have the daily option of watching Choti bahor, La Loba, Marie Cruz, Orazon Indomable, Marimar, Curse by the Sea, Irrational Heart, Teresa, Joana, Women's Sacrifice, Emerald Necklace, among others; all at the expense of promising Ghanaian programs. Genius programs rather form the weekly or even seasonal category of programs for almost all the stations. And the earlier program directors reconsider program line-ups for Ghana, the better for us the youth and the entire country in the long run.

Importantly, this piece does not suggest the domestication of program line-ups for TV Stations, after all TV-Africa which thrives on the foundational statement of “Projecting African Values” has time for 'Malar Clara'. Rather this piece seeks to sensitize how some genius initiative programs when promoted can contribute immensely, far more than telenovelas. A telenovela simply is nothing more than a serial drama in, or of Latin American origin. Contributes virtually nothing to the hopes and aspired productivity of the country, but rather adulterates culture even when assimilated by households. Unfortunately, telenovela series have rather gone viral infesting the program line-ups of all the accessible TV Stations operated in Ghana. And the worrisome aspect is that from 2pm to 10pm each day (Sunday to Saturday), at least one of the most accessible stations (GTV, TV3, Metro TV, TV-Africa, U-TV, Viasat 1) busily serves a telenovela. And somewhere along the day almost all simultaneously broadcast this economically inviable category of programs.

Whilst operas and movies are to break monotony by buffering between lengthy hours of informative programs, the other way round seems to be the picture of late. With some stations, a telenovela or movie paves way for major news at 6:30pm or 7pm, and another takes over immediately after. No wonder promising programs like the Presidential Initiatives and Projects' Documentaries are rare, flashy and irregular on our screens. Again, an Agrarian, technology or manufacturing documentary like that of Great KOSA Vision has limited unsustainable time on our screens. The same cannot be said about telenovelas or movies of late.

At the juxtaposition of telenovelas and genius programs like productivity documentaries, you will struggle throughout with the question “which would have viable aggregate effect on the Ghanaian economy?” I mean what if genius programs are sponsored and promoted to receive household attentions just like how U-TV for instance is doing for Marie Cruz? Undisputedly sponsorship has a major role in programming, but program directors together with sponsorship teams can feasibly promote and serve viewers with genius and initiative programs like “Which Ghanaian is inventing or has invented what?”, “How employees became employers themselves”, “Documented landmark policies of other countries packaged with studio scrutiny by experts”, etc. This is the only way to use TV Programming as tool to urge motivations in the quest for a 'developed' Ghana.

In an all-hands-on-deck situation, TV Program directors should also try and stand for the broadcasting of programs intended to help breed and roll over national productivity syndrome, telenovelas lack this inspirational feature. As developing nation what do we seek to achieve with the 'dominance' of telenovelas? Wet the youth's appetite for the Latin style of living? Learn the Mexican way of solving home and social issues? Or is the show of telenovela the cheapest means to buy out time from the day's lengthy hours of programming? Obviously no.

In conclusion, TV programs sink deep to the grass-roots of Ghanaian communities, streaming of programs which are capable of adding up to national productivity, together with corporate profitability will be the most efficient and judicious contribution of audiovisual media programs to the course of Ghana.

More of genius programs such as I-Blogger, Talented kids, My life my story, teleshop, Abrabo pa, Documentaries of national importance,

Long live TV Stations! Shatter Telenovelas!
Abel Okyere – [email protected]