Central University establishes Broadcasting Studios

Accra, April 25, GNA - The Department of Communications Studies of Central University has unveiled a state of the art Central Broadcasting Studios (CBS) at its Miotso Campus to facilitate the study of communications.

The network would house a radio station, a television studio and a recording studio.

The radio station is named Central Air, is being broadcasted online.

Speaking at the launch of the studio, Dr Mensa Otabil, the Chancellor of Central University, challenged the Communications Studies students to localise the station by aiming at smaller communities and telling their stories.

The Chancellor said, the content and programmes should be geared towards a clearly defined audience.

' Radio has become frivolous because broadcasters don't know who they are talking to,'' Dr Otabil stated.

According to him, the studio should not aim at speaking to Ghana but rather addressing issues in immediate communities to be able to develop depth and eventually allow for monitoring of the impacts made. ' A great tool has been given to you, don't waste it, take it seriously'', he added.

Dr Ransford Antwi, the Head of the Communications Department at the university, said he was hopeful the new studio would ensure that the Department became the best among its peers as far as media training institutions were concerned.

' There are lots of institutions in the country providing media training but we will not settle for mediocrity'' he stated.

Dr Antwi charged the Communication Students to use the studios efficiently and responsibly and not to give in to the trivialities that had engulfed some aspects of the Ghanaian media.

Professor Kwesi Yankah, the Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education, who was the special guest of honour was hopeful that the department, which is the country's youngest, would soon become the most important following the unveiling of the studios.

Professor Yankah who is also the immediate former Vice Chancellor of the University called on the students to ' go beyond newspaper headlines and rather use the platform given to the benefit of surrounding communities such as Prampram, Dawhenya, Ningo.''

He told the students to avoid frivolities and relatively combine information and active communication to benefit the community.

The Department of Communications Studies of Central University was established in 2011 and has since seen two batches of students graduate in 2015 and 2016.

Among its mainstream programmes are, advertising, public relations, new media, broadcast and print journalism.

The department has affiliations with notable institutions in the United States of America, South Africa and Sweden.

GNA