99% Is Always Better! Stay With Joy; Your Day Won't Be The Same!

It is sassy, joyous, confident, fearless, frontal where necessary, serious but fun, spectacularly realistic, sophisticated but humble and above all communal.

These and many are the enduring tents which have sustained unarguably Ghana’s first successful private radio station, your super station Joy 99.7FM. This is the station that produced iconic broadcasters such as the late Komla Dumor, Matilda Asante Asiedu, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Gabby Adjetey, Doreen Andoh…the list is competing favourably with the life of Methuselah!

Consistent with the station’s tradition of breaking bounds, dispelling myths, challenging authority with respect and leading a revolution (bloodless of course!) – something it has done for close to a quarter of a century – Joy FM is rolling out, beginning this month – the month of Love – extraordinary programmes designed with the surgical precision of a military officer to meet the needs of the discerning listeners.

Mentioning revolutions and military in the same paragraph naturally evokes the name of one strong man who coincidentally has a J, in fact, Js in his name. No wonder Joy FM was launched when he was governing and booming. There is a legend that he used to boom and radio sets would fall off the wall. That was Papa J himself!

Forgive my digression! So this February, Joy FM is showing love by giving you more! After all the listeners asked it, and have they must!

From February 1, Kwame Sakyiamah (those who wish to be regarded as more cosmopolitan and not from my grandfather’s village call him Lexis Bill), started Drive Time at 2 pm, a clear hour earlier than used to be the case.

You want more of the modern music for which he’s known and which you have yearned for, here you have it! Lexis will play without letting until 5:30pm when one of the most daring, quintessential, eloquent, fearless journalists of our time (TilÉ›lÉ›, his colleagues call him; I hear it has something to do with the size of his head and oh boi! The man’s head is biiiiiggg!!!), Evans Mensah takes over with his sizzling unmissable Top Story.

This runs till 6 pm when the fitting replacement of the famous Dzifa Bampoh (whom The Multimedia Group CEO, Kwasi Twum once described as awesome power packed in a small body), Emefa Apawu joins Evans for Newsnight. After Newsnight was done, Lexis returned with Personality Profile and guess who came on the show Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, former Attorney-General, former Education Minister, and a Vice-Chairperson of the NDC. Make a date with Lexis every other Thursday for the personalities you are dying to meet but never had the opportunity to.

Right after Personality Profile is Ken’s Music Mix with the evergreen, musicophile, Jazz aficionado, Uncle Ken, starting at exactly (the Nigerians would have said exatally!) 8:10 pm. You will enjoy this until midnight.

At The Multimedia Group, we believe Christ is at Work. And so from 1:30 am, Pastor Kojo Frimpong (who has already won a nickname for himself… Speeaaak!) brings you impactful, inspiring, Word of God, Atmosphere of Victory until 4 am. You will win with this one.

From 4:00 am, Joy Time in His Presence fills your morning with that unyielding hope that your aspirations, however audacious, will be met. Yes, you, like a Liverpool fan, never walk alone! Never mind that in this season of the EPL, Liverpool appears to not only be walking alone but also in the dark. An accidental win over Manchester City could not sustain their faint title hopes.

Sorry, staying focused, the eloquent, dapper, Kojo Yankson warms your morning with a milky, creamy, tasty breakfast on the Super Morning Show. On this show, you will laugh, in fact, crack your ribs, sometimes cry, punch yourself, drop a jaw and belch out of fulfilment. The show is 5:50 – 10 am. A notable change on the show is Business Report which now comes at 06:15 – 06:25 am.

Cosmopolitan Mix with the iconic Doreen Andoh will continue to bring those tunes that keep you working steadily and vigorously from 10 am to 12 pm just before Emefa Apawu brings you the midday news.

After Pastor Mensa Otabil’s great Living Word message which ends at 1:00 pm and after the five-minute business report, on Mondays, George Addo Jnr. brings you Sports Track running to 2 pm. This is the place for the most vociferous debates of the hottest sports topics dominating the headlines. On Tuesdays, Nhyira Addo brings you Executive Lounge. Here you will hear great interviews with the business executives oiling Ghana’s private sector. On Wednesdays, Yaw Anim Barnafo brings you MASTERCLASS where you hear all the inspiring, educative stuff about how to manage a business. But the inspiration does not end there. On Thursdays, same time, we bring you Inspirational Time and lock the city down with the Locker Room with George Addo Jnr on Fridays.

From 7:10 – 8 pm: On Mondays, the only chief with a swag, Nana Ansah Kwao IV brings you a no-holds-barred conversation on That’s My Opinion. With gloves off, he throws a flurry of punches relentlessly. On Tuesdays at the same time, the young brilliant, eloquent, Kwabena Offei Nkrumah explains those niggling technology conundrums that frustrate you tremendously on a new show, Geek Squad. Even the name confounds you, doesn’t it? Well, Kobby, who’s nicknamed Ghana’s Steve Jobs, and fellow nerds bring you tech education you can’t find anywhere.

Now wait! What happens on Wednesdays? The sassy movie star, Naa Ashorkor, brings you Strong & Sassy where the ladies take over! They will discuss everything about women and relationships too.

From 8 pm – 10 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the newest giant on the block, Sammy Forson takes over the airwaves with The Overdrive which is immediately followed by Late Night Express, hosted by the smooth, seductive voice of Kofi Laing, for the same days and which ends at 12 midnight.

Africa’s No. 1 DJ, DJ Black sets the stage for a wonderful weekend with Weekend Warmer every Friday evening at 8 pm – 12 am.

You must be wondering by now what is happening to your favourite weekends. Well, this is where great things are happening too. The award-winning hilarious Weekend City Show (which by the ways misses the naughtiness of the Founder of the Nonsense Empire, Victor Brachie) returns with Sammy Forson every Saturday from 07:30 to 9 am. It will be preceded by Edem Knight-Tay and her Home Affairs.

After the most authoritative news analysis show, to quote Samson Lardy Anyenini (I don’t want to be accused of plagiarism), which ends at 12 pm, comes the reinvigorated Sports Links which follows the 15-minute news.

Naa Ashorkor leads a panel of unapologetic entertainment critics, slicing and dissecting all the controversial entertainment issues on Showbiz A-Z on Saturdays from 2 pm – 6 pm.

That is immediately by Flashback hosted by Paul Ankrah, B’lei, we call him. The man has an amazing compendium of music history. He knocks off at 8 pm and before you catch your breath, his royal blackness, DJ Black who takes over with Open House Party which runs until 12 am Sunday.

From 7:30 – 10 am Sunday, Pastor Mike Nii Abossey takes us to church on The Reason is Jesus. He is relieved by Ignatius Adjabeng who plays country music that keeps you glued to your set. Your Sunday is certainly not without Country Land with Igie from 10 am – 12 pm.

Pastor Ato Aquah comes on with Worship Zone and oh yes, if you missed church you have to be here.

Ultimate Health hosted by the irrepressible Nortey Dua will give health tips and of course frank talk from 2 pm – 3 pm.

There can’t be Sunday without sports so Benedict Owusu keeps multiple eyes on sporting events across the globe and brings the updates you need to tease your foes. If you don’t have the time to watch the games, be certain that Benedict will give you all the arcane details of the dramatic events on the pitch on Sports Arena.

Sunday Edition which gives you a sneak peek into the processes leading to the stories you hear on the radio and watch on television is brought to you every Sunday evening from 6 pm – 7 pm.

Pastor Albert Ocran takes over with SpringBoard, the show gives you the education you may not get in the classroom. This is your virtual university where rare life experiences are shared by those who have them in abundance.

Programmes Director of Joy FM, Kofi Ansah said the new programmes were anchored on a historically determined desire to continue to give listeners content that satisfies their needs.

“It is a cliché to say the listener is king. But at Joy FM, we sincerely believe that whatever modest contribution we have made to the development of this great country has been made possible by the untiring generosity of the Ghanaian people.

“This we believe imposes on us an obligation to continue to regenerate ourselves and meet the aspirations and expectations of that Ghanaian – young or old, rich or poor, literate or illiterate, Christian or Muslim, rural or cosmopolitan.

“Our abiding faith in our ability to meet this sacred obligation remains alive and has never been stronger. Let me end by saying that we continue to value that bond with the Ghanaian people to bring them, fearless journalism that holds their leaders accountable; exciting and entertaining content which is edifying; and of course, Godly and inspiring messages that will keep their souls energised, reinvigorated and meaningful,” he stated.

You must be tired reading. Well I’m tired of typing too. One thing you will not, can’t be, tired of doing is listening. Yes. Listening to the station that guarantees you a complete fulfilling day. Make a date.