RADIO: Sammy Forson quits Citi for YFM
If you are a keen follower of the radio industry, you would probably not be surprised by some of the personnel movements that characterize the industry all year round. Watchers look forward to such movements once a broadcast journalist goes AWOL, suspended or a new station starts test transmitting.
The industry, as young as it is, has over the years succeeded in creating for itself, an array of young and talented radio personalities. The likes of Bernard Avle, Jeremie Van-Garshong, Samuel Bartels and Kojo Oppong Nkrumah lay bare the sorts of youthful fibre the industry is made of.
When Adabraka based Citi FM, started broadcasting five years ago, one young man who joined the train was Sammy Forson. He joined the Station from GBC's Garden City Radio in Kumasi where he cut his teeth in radio presentation. Sammy took over the station's “drive time show” - Citi Drive, after it had been handled by Jon Germain and a couple of others before.
Coming events, we are told, cast their shadows. So when the management of Citi FM suspended Sammy Forson over reasons best known to them, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened.
A subsequent cameo presentation on Kumasi based Radio Xctacy during his suspension, did not help matters either. He had to spend time, explaining on his face book page that he had not abandoned Citi FM but was just on leave.
Monday November, 16. It's 6:00 am and the Ryse and Shine signature tune on YFM, is fast hitting eardrums, signaling the start of a programme that is fast establishing its profile as an escape route from all the 'noise' and 'trash' some stations feed Accra's listener population.
A new voice, Sammy Forson introduces himself as the host of the programme. This was certainly a big surprise. But he laid the speculations to rest when he posted a message on his face book asking friends to tune in to YFM. The message read: “Kick Start Your Day on a Great Note!!! It's RYSE & SHINE ON YFM With SAMMY FORSON!! TUNE IN NOW... Dedications Welcome... It's YFM 107.7 MHz...Yearn For More”.
Reality was setting in and the unexpected had happened. Sammy Forson is no more with Nic Amartefio's Citi FM bringing to an end, five years of drive time radio romance with the 97.3 lads.
In an interview with The Mail, Sammy defended his decision saying he needed a change of environment. “I have been working for five years with Citi FM and thought I needed a change of environment. As a professional, you can only progress and move on to higher challenges and opportunities. The system that operates at YFM is one that every young professional would want to work under. It is the type which allows you to grow and also present you with opportunities that can only be beneficial”.
While on suspension, Sammy had offers from other stations but found it easy settling for YFM as he saw the station's vision as one he would like to be part of. “A lot of stations approached me during my suspension. At the end of the day, I was far more convinced that YFM is the place I want to be”.
Sammy sees the YFM platform as one which will help him grow professionally. He said, “YFM is an environment for creative minds so there is no reason to fail”.
On whether he thinks he would end up making enemies for himself at Citi FM over the move, Sammy said, “some of my colleagues have called to congratulate me, others tune in to listen to me but if there are any group of persons who still, can't come to terms that I am no more with Citi, then I am sorry. We all have dreams to fulfill in life and this is just a step I have taken to make mine a reality”.
He is fast settling into his new programme as he combines flawlessly with E – Boogie, the show's producer to make the show what it is. He has been told to host the show until further notice meaning from now till a substantive decision is taken, it is Sammy Forson on your radio. Ryse and Shyne may just end as one of the shows that listeners will find it difficult tuning off as Sammy brings on board a wealth of experience.
One thing which is not clear is what becomes of the regular presenter of Ryse and Shyne, Miss Naa, who did a lot to get the show its huge listenership and goodwill.
At Citi FM, Sammy handled the Citi Drive and Citi Countdown show. At a point in time, he was a co- host to the Upside Down Show.
Sammy's latest exit from Citi FM comes months after Samuel Fiifi Bartels, then host of the station's breakfast show, quit over differences with management on how the programme should be run.
By: OBED BOAFO
Development / Accra / Ghana / Africa / Modernghana.com