Probing Entertainment/Showbiz Shows In The Eastern Region — Part 1

Eastern Region for many years has played a huge role in the Ghanaian Creative Arts space by producing creative personalities and industry persons who have and are head spearing the industry's powerhouse.

To mention a few, we can discuss the likes of Kwame Dadzie of Citi Fm/Tv, Miketwo Miketwo of Adom Fm, Frank Kwabena Owusu (Franky5) of HitzFm, Former Zylofon Fm employee, Samuel Atuobi Baah, Despite Media's Abeiku Santana, Londona Nie of Kingdom+ and Kleff Maxwell Justice (KMJ) of Multimedia.

These and many entertainment/showbiz personalities from the eastern region are exploring and impacting the powerhouse (Accra).

To talk of creatives from the region who have contributed hugely to the pertinent of the Ghanaian Creative art industry, we could make an unending list.

This article is to establish a probe into the advancement of the Eastern Region's entertainment/showbiz industry concerning the role of the media and media personalities who stage podiums to discuss the creative Enterprise on various platforms.

Before I proceed, let's consider some entertainment/Showbiz shows within the Eastern Region media landscape.

I will make a short list of Entertainment/Showbiz programs aired within the Eastern Region's hemisphere.

1. Entertainment Today - Radio 1

2. Pimpinaa - Kingdom Fm (Koforidua) [annulled]

3. The Saturday Entertainment Show - Sunrise Fm (GBC)

4. Agoo Showbiz - Agoo Fm

5. Life Entertainment - Life Fm

6. Showbiz Zone - My Fm

7. Total Showbiz - Emak Fm

8. Kingdom Entertainment Zone - Kingdom Fm (Nkawkaw)

9. Obuoba Entertainment - Obuoba Fm

10. Ofie Entertainment Box - Ofie Fm

11. Entertainment Friday - Aben Fm

These are among the many Entertainment/Showbiz talk shows which cover the Eastern Region's waves every weekend and are poised to Entertain, Inform and Educate the public on issues regarding the Creative Art Industry.

Most of these shows have gained emergence at various award schemes, having its hosts garnering recognition within the Eastern Region.

But the big question remains "how has these shows contributed to the development of the creative art industry in the Eastern Region?" Well, let's look into it.

These shows were designed to contribute to the progress of the Eastern Region's Creative Industry but to disappoint you, they have rather become an avenue for regression based on my observation.

Most of these programs have no proper planning. To be sincere, a larger section of entertainment show hosts in the region sometimes do not know about the topic they put on the table for discussion.

As a matter of fact, they easily fall for assertions raised by guests without any prove-check, nod heads even when pundits go off-track or blow winds in regards to the topic under discussion.

They are pinned to clout chasing and making their platforms a money-making avenue instead of probing and looking into the affairs of industry development.

Entertainment shows in Eastern Region thrive on excessive controversies and comparisons.

For this reason, they shun diving into matters that involve serious orientation and intellectual discourse.

Entertainment shows in the Region have failed to acknowledge the business side of the industry during discussions.

Topics that are discussed on most of these shows are "Personality" centred.

A show which airs within a 2hrs time frame will have a 10mins slot for panel discussions, so you can imagine.

It took Asiwome Writes in 2018 to bring to the limelight "the actual state of the Koforidua Cultural Centre" after the then Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Art, Hon Dr Ziblim Zarri Iddi has said the performance centre was 60% complete.

His article provoked a good discussion within the Showbiz/Entertainment topography nationwide and in the end, the region was bestowed a refurbished ultra-modern Cultural Centre.

Till then, which entertainment platform has followed up to consider the current state of the centre? NONE.

I can recall how the media, especially, the supposed Entertainment and Showbiz hosts boycotted the 2019 National Festival of Arts and Culture held in the region (Koforidua) for their interest.

Showbiz programs in the region have failed to tackle issues within the government jurisdiction in regards to CREATIVE ARTS.

More also, there has been a great partiality when it comes to Entertainment show dialogues at this side.

It has always been "Music and Artistes", meanwhile the region is blessed with creatives who are mastering the art of Film making, Comedy, Poetry among others.

These are a few among the many reasons why the Entertainment/Showbiz industry in Eastern Region is not regarded as a high-yielding entity to attract investors.

In my next episode, I will tackle Entertainment/Showbiz Punditry in the Eastern Region.