Ghanaian Journalist Halifax Ansah-Addo

Tuesday, 7 July 2015

It Is Tough For Women In Media

…Mary-Ann Acolatse Speaks

By Halifax Ansah-Addo

Mary-Ann Acolatse, a female broadcast-journalist of high repute, has pointed at an uneven playing field that frustrates the smooth progression of women working in the media though the situation is unintended.

“With regards to training and basic job opportunities the field is leveled for both sexes but when it comes to career progression, certain roles and ownership - there's cause for alarm”, Mary-Ann, Managing News Editor at Starr FM told NEWS-ONE.

“I don't believe that there is deliberate systemic distortions at work targeting women in the media to remain out or at the base of the profession. But the general patriarchal settings that construct economic, social and professional power relations perpetuates the evil cycle of marginalizing women at all levels - this phenomenon cuts across all sectors or industries

“It is an open secret that women in the media just as other industries earn lesser than their male counterparts of same rank or pedigree. Women in the media hardly occupy the high and powerful positions at the top - it's just a few brave ones who often do so at the peril of their marital or social lives....whereas many remain bottom or hardly can see a natural progression to the top through merit unless through the difficult and sometimes less dignifying back door negotiations,” Ms Acolatse explained further.

She continued: “You can scan around and see the evidence abound - we have a tall list of radio, tv and newspaper operations in the country but how many women do we have in these organizations leading as managing editors or chief editors, news directors, managing directors, CEOs or owners of media properties.”

Currently, she is the Group Managing Editor of EIB Network, operators of Starr Fm, Live FM, Kasapa, Ultimate Fm, Agoo Fm, Empire Fm and Daily Heritage newspaper.

Mary-Ann had also worked at TV3 as Director of News and Current Affairs and help top management positions at Joy FM, Multi TV and Metro TV.

In the interview with NEWS-ONE, Mary-Ann said her experience in the media has taught her it is a tough job at the top for women because “ the fine skill set required to drive excellence and profitability in a competitive market with limited pool of compelling talents can be daunting!”

Mary-Ann strongly posited that “the nation stands to benefit hugely when the space is freed up for more women in the media to be seen and heard as powerful voices of influence - not just as sexual objects adorning newspaper front pages and television screens.”

She said “women as decision makers - Editors, Managers, Media Owners etc will significantly lift the caliber of media practice to the standards we aspire to have as a country.

“Though there are exceptions to the rule, I believe women's natural disposition tilt to nurturing, caring and calculating in their actions and impacts and therefore women are less likely to run amok in what I term ‘adventure journalism’. When sensational and serious content share same commercial value - women will still invest in programming that supports nation building and rich public life than riotous publications and broadcast aiming mainly to sell at all cost damn the consequences!”

She holds a Masters degree in Journalism from the Cardiff University in the UK under British government's chevening scholarship program and Executive MBA in Marketing from University of Legon's Business School.

Inside Asamoah Gyan’s $3 Million Home

Black stars captain, Asamoah Gyan, has bought a $3 million hilltop mansion at the apex of one of the McCathy Hills affording occupants an airborne view of Accra.

The footballer has named his mansion “La Basilica De Baby Jet” and says he would use it as a residential facility.

It is a 3-storey building that can only be described in two words, classy and comfortable with large balconies on each floor directly overlooking the Weija River. It has elegant floral designs and tiles, luxury linens, pristine décor and a collection of furniture and artifacts from different countries of the world.

La Basilica De Baby Jet has master fitter bedrooms, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a pub, a cafeteria, a movie room, a snooker bar, several kitchens, self contained boys quarters, automated garages, several living rooms and has become the talk of town.

NEWS-ONE visited the place for daytime photos.

one of the kitchens

Third living room

Awards room

Golden Boot Award

THE OHENE NTOW I KNOW

I was amused to have heard Nana Ohene Ntow, former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) run riot on radio this morning in an attempt to defend the indefensible.
He ended up attacking DAILY GUIDE, running down the paper and saying a few nasty things I would rather not repeat. Ohene Ntow simply reminded me of ‘Nze’, the bird that challenged his ‘chi’ –personal god- in Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, after over eating.
Though he came across as someone exhibiting the symptoms of two personal poisons – arrogance and egoism of the soul, his utterances won my sympathy rather than my annoyance.
I have known him since he was General Secretary and was a political reporter. I went to him quite often for interviews and on each occasion, I (and many of my colleagues) tolerated his pompous character because I had done some reading on him and learnt he was not a ‘politician’ who had gone through the mill but rather a broadcast journalist who by fate or sheer coincidence, found himself as the Chief scribe of a major political party.
He often had an overrated lofty impression of himself and went about his duties with an air on empty importance. Many times, all he did was talk talk talk and talk and press conferences…he loved the cameras and would often take off his spectacles, wear them again and flash a dry smile before he allowed a picture of him to be taken for the newspapers.
Eventually he ended up as the General Secretary who took his party into opposition. By then, not many knew he was of the opinion Nana Akufo Addo, his party’s presidential candidate was not the best material to have been put forward.
Soon after his party lost power, Nana Ohene Ntow I believe must have learnt, through negative experience, that it is better to be a messenger in a ruling party than the General Secretary of a party in opposition.
Suddenly the ‘all powerful’ Ohene Ntow , after leading his party to political defeat, was reported to have become a squatter in a government bungalow where his wife had transformed a portion of the house into a shito production and export factory just to earn an extra living (http://elections.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/200908/25611.php).
Such embarrassing reports on Ohene Ntow has continued till date and even barely a year ago, The Herald reported that he was likely to face court over his failure to settle a ¢37 million hotel bill he accumulated since 2011, but sneaked out leaving behind his shirts, trousers, “supporters”, ID cards, photographs and other personal effects. (http://elections.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/201305/163396.php)
He should continue to attack and insult and run down people whose view he finds not to be the same as his just as he did when the NPP was put in his care and he took the party into opposition.
Indeed, if the pro-NPP media has told the party some 20 percent truth in 2008, the party would not have lost the elections. Rather, they were urged on even when it was glaring that some of their decisions reflected lazy thinking.
Once again, some elements in the NPP are rehearsing for another political defeat (perhaps on purpose) and they expect all others to cheer them on.
– HALIFAX WRITES.
Monday august 18, 2014
Twitter:@HalifaxAnsahAdd

When The Media Gave Funny Face A Brokenheart

Award winning actor and comedian Funny Face just had a phone conversation with me. Almost heartbroken that a section of the media has taken a portion of my exclusive interview with him and twisted it completely out of context to make it seem as though he has a problem with is church.
During the interview, Funny, in his characteristic hilarious attitude said he was sacked from a ‘prayer warriors group’ in his local church because he his prayers were funny and distracted other members.
This was exactly what Funny said in the original interview:

Question: Do you believe in God’s grace?
Answer: I do. I was a prayer warrior at Living Streams but they sacked me and said when I pray, people laugh and lose concentration. Then I joined the choir and they also sacked me from the choir, complaining that when I sing and when I dance, they laughed too much.

Question: What type of prayers could make a church sack you from a prayer group?
Answer: Hmm! I was a powerful prayer warrior ooo. I could pray and say: “oh God, we pray, we pray. Father, you know Ghana witches are quick tempered but they lie. It is about time they saw our swag”… oh why are you laughing?

Surprisingly, a section of the media twisted the interview and reported that Funny Face had been SACKED FROM HIS CHURCH!!

Below is the complete interview as published by NEWS-ONE on Wednesday August 3, 2014.

MEET FUNNY FACE: Still The Swag-On-Papa
By Halifax Ansah-Addo (Twitter: @HalifaxAnsahAdd)

Ghana’s finest comedian, Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, popularly known as Funny Face, aka ‘Swag-On-Papa’, on Tuesday allowed NEWS-ONE into his residence at Millennium City Estate, Kasoa, on the outskirts of Accra and granted a no–holds–barred interview that touched on his career, his wife, his life and his future.
The award winning actor and comedian lives in a modern house built on a four-plot land and guarded by 14 wild dogs of different breeds.

You have a big house with empty bullet cartridges littered all over your compound.
Thanks but this is not big enough. I hope to build bigger ones. These ones (bullet cartridges) are just warning shots I fired and also to scare the dogs; especially the stubborn ones.

You have an army of dogs too.
I have 14 wild dogs. Naturally I love dogs. Several years ago, I could just travel from Accra to Cape Coast just to watch dogs. Now I have several exotic dogs I keep as pets and as part of my security. You can see them. This one is a shepherd; it observes a lot…

(Interrupts) The interview is to let my readers know why you have kept a low profile within the last eight months.
In showbiz, there comes a time you have to stay away from the media, think through your career, plan the future and bounce back with a bang in a better shape and form. In Ghana, we easily get used to showbiz persons and get fed up with them. Please I said ‘in Ghana’ ooo. So when you are doing the story underline that aspect. I realised I was all over the place and over exposure was setting in so I decided to stay away from the public for a while and use the year 2014 to work behind the scenes on a few new projects and then return to TV again.

Are you coming back on ‘Chorkor Trotro’?
No. I would rather return with my own TV programme, my stand-up comedy show and a new show for kids; God willing by this December.

What is keeping you waiting?
The sponsors are all saying ‘my son, go and come tomorrow’ and I also tell them, ‘it is not easy to wait’. Depending on the sponsorship arrival, I may return earlier than December with my drama show. The stand-up comedy would first start with my campus tour of tertiary institutions by November, then I move it to TV by God’s grace.

Do you believe in God’s grace?
I do. I was a prayer warrior at Living Streams but they sacked me and said when I pray, people laugh and lose concentration. Then I joined the choir and they also sacked me from the choir, complaining that when I sing and when I dance, they laughed too much.

What type of prayers could make a church sack you from a prayer group?
Hmm! I was a powerful prayer warrior ooo. I could pray and say: “oh God, we pray, we pray. Father, you know Ghana witches are quick tempered but they lie. It is about time they saw our swag”… oh why are you laughing?

Pundits say comedy is not lucrative in Ghana. So we import comedians from Nigeria.
It is worth it. And to God be the glory, I am getting something worthwhile from it. If not for comedy, I would have been in the village with a hoe and cutlass planting cocoyam behind my grandfather’s mud house. You know me. If not for this job, I would have remained in my single room at Dansoman with my smelly armpit. In those days, my armpit could minister to you.

I am happy it is picking up in Ghana. You would have observed that most of the telecommunication companies are now using comedians to market their services. Thanks to Vodafone for believing in my brand and using me and now others are doing same. But we may need to push the stand up a little harder but it has remained a big challenge.

What exactly is the challenge?
Most people in Ghana have the perception that Ghanaian comedians are not funny. So when they leave their homes to watch comedy, they leave planning your downfall and come to the show expecting your downfall. So even before you appear on stage, they have condemned you and decided in their minds that you are not funny.

I attended a comedy show to watch and not to perform and there was this lady next to me and when the guy on stage said ‘helooooo make some noise’, she passed a very rude comment. She knew I was hearing her but she did not mind. She rather crossed her legs and started playing with her long artificial nails painted in different loud colours.
It is a big challenge and we need a change of attitude. People like yourself, Francis Doku, Kwame Sefa Kayi, Akwasi Aboagye, Abeiku Santana, George Quaye are all helping to change that mindset and we appreciate it.

Good you mentioned George Quaye, your former manager. I heard you snubbed him and also quit Chorkor Trotro when you started getting bigger contracts. It sounds unlike you. What happened?
Oh no bro. How can I do that? I returned from a foreign trip and heard all those reports. As you said, that is not my style. The truth is that George and I parted ways about 18 months ago so I wonder why it is not coming up with this negative twist.

George was my manager and helped me a lot but he called me and said he had realised he was getting more and more busy and was not having enough time for me. He suggested I moved on and that he had confidence in me that I could make it on my own. It was a very cordial discussion we had and we are still the best of friends.

I never snubbed George. George never snubbed me. What they are saying is not true. Sometimes these things make me cry when I am alone in my house. It really gets to me. But I console myself and tell myself that people would not have written negative things about me if I was still hustling with my smelly armpit on the streets of Dansoman. Today, people write about me and add their own spin.
With Chorkor Trotro, I remained with the team for some four years even when I was doing that as a great sacrifice. I left when it was time to leave. No need to go into every detail. I left because they were not ready to help me push my interests. I have some branded merchandise, exercise books, wrist bands, T-shirts, pens and other stuff I begged them to help me promote through the show but they kept turning me down. So I walked away to focus on my interests. There was no bad blood. I still remain humble.

What keeps you humble despite your money and fame?
The fact that I always remember where I am coming from and the fact that I know it is God who has brought me this far, keeps me humble. Halifax let me tell you something. When I visit Adebayo and the likes of Drogba or Toure, I see them seated on the floor, eating and playing with their houseboys. These players earn the equivalent of about four billion Ghana cedes a week yet they are humble and respect their fellow human beings.

I have a song that talks about how you can be a living being today and become a corpse tomorrow. But because the song came from me, people think it is a foolish song. But it is a very wise song. Look less than a year ago, I was with Fennec smiling and shouting, but today, he is no more. That is why I remain humble and respect everyone.

Were you close with Fennec?
We were mates at secondary school. He was the entertainment prefect at O’Reilly and I was the assistant entertainment prefect. We have remained friends since then. He was the one who introduced me to a lot of the persons who became influential in my career. Fennec’s death hit me like a bullet. It scared me. Let's talk about something else.

What did you study at O’Reilly?
General Arts. I did Government, Economics and Geography that is why I want to become President of Ghana. I know how to use my secondary school economics and a little geography to become President. But Ghanaians would insult me till I run away.

What would you be doing at Starr 103.5 FM?
I would be playing the fooling there. My programme is ‘Morning Zoo’ every Saturday morning from 7am to 11am, and I would be with Nii Ayi Tagoe. When you look at my face and you take a proper look at Nii Ayi’s head, you would understand why our programme is called ‘Morning Zoo’. It is a freestyle light-hearted show and it is just for fun and satire. But I would start my own show soon.

Did you apply for the job at Starr Fm or they came for you?
They came for me. Bola Ray and Dr Kwabena Duffuor are responsible for dragging me there. They asked what I could do. I told them I have a calling to play the fool on radio. They said they liked it. I asked how much they would pay me, they said it is a subject for another day, I insisted money first. We had an agreement and that was it. Bola and I go a long way back. I love the big dream of Starr Fm and I am happy to be a part of it.

What is the future like for you?
Wow, you are talking about someone like Dr Duffuor, Osei Kwame Despite, and their likes. They are the ones who coach me on how to make money and I am ready to learn from them. Also I roll with my boss Adebayo so you can imagine my future.

Can you suggest a headline for this interview?
Oh. Ermm ermmm…. Funny Face: Still The Swaggon Papa. The ‘still’ should have about nine ‘L’

Any message to your fans?
Oh yes. They should continue to believe in themselves and never give up in life. Learn from your mistakes and know that your stupidity can let you make some mistakes. But learn from them and move on. The future is as bright as you plan it to be.

Thanks Funny Face
Thanks Halifax. You are a brother.

Tinny Blasts Charter House

The ‘Anaconda’ hit-maker, Aletse Tinny, has taken Charter House, organizers of the Vodafone Music Awards, to the cleaners in what appears to be the most daring interview ever granted by a Ghanaian musician in recent times. Speaking to NEWS-ONE on the recently-held music awards, Tinny said he watched the event on television from the comfort of his home and in his opinion it was boring and lacked the terrific ambiance expected of such an awards night. “I mean when you watch from home, the programme was dry and you could see that the audience themselves were not having the feel they wanted to have. Anytime the cameras captured the audience, they were seated very calm and quite as if they were listening to Christian lessons from Pastor Mensah Otabil. “The stage design was okay and very well done but where was the stage lights and stage effects the organizers expected the artistes to perform with? The stage was very dry and the same lighting system that was used for artistes who were going on stage to receive awards was the same lighting system used for the performances. There was just something basically lacking and we should not blame the artistes for that,” Tinny told NEWS-ONE. He added, “When you organize such an award and put the name ‘Ghana’ on it, you are expected to do something great because it takes a national outlook. Especially when you take such huge amounts from the sponsors, you are to let the money go into the show so that people who buy the tickets would have value for their money but not what they did that night where very good musicians were made to perform under a situation that made them under-perform.” Though several Ghanaian musicians have expressed strong reservations about the Ghana Music Awards, none of them has mustered the courage to go public with their criticisms due to the fear of a Charter House ‘mafia’, which is ready to pounce on such critics. Tinny declined comments on which artiste won which award but said it was not proper that organizers of a Ghana Music Awards event would invite only Ghanaian musicians who had been nominated and completely ignore all other musicians except those penciled to present awards. “It is not that Tinny or other musicians cannot buy the ticket to attend the ceremony but it is just not proper. And someone has to say it just as it is. After all, Charter House, despite its sponsorship package, cannot pay Tinny to perform on such a night. No they can’t pay me”. It is a statement of fact that almost all the artistes that performed on the night had been nominated for one category or another and the organizers snubbed all other artistes including VIP, the overall winners of the previous year’s Ghana Music Awards. TINNY ROCKS APHRODISIAC NEWS-ONE has confirmed that Tinny, in May, will rock the Aphrodisiac Night Club in Accra with his Tinny & Friends Anaconda Tour. The debut Tinny & Friends Anaconda Tour was held in the first week of April at the Vienna City Nightclub in Accra with an all-stars concert that saw performances from some of Ghana’s best musicians including Eze of Uradia fame, Tic-Tac, Gasmila, Stone Bwoy, D- Flex, Bandana, Jupitar, Arrow and Scientific. Tinny explained that the tour was to enable him to have a direct relationship with his fans and to enable them to have a feel of his songs without having to wait for a festive season.

Blows Over Rahim Banda

NewsOne April 23,2012

Travelling arrangements for wonder kid Rahim Banda to attend the 2012 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Nigeria has led to a clash between organizers of the award and the boy’s father, Ahmed Banda, the celebrated music cum movie producer, popularly known as Bandex. Rahim, a Ghanaian child actor with exceptional talent and skill, was nominated for the category of Best Child Actor at the 2012 AMAA that came off in Lagos yesterday and on the eve of his departure, it became evident that the organizers had purchased one plane ticket for the 11-year-old boy to travel alone to Nigeria. His father, Bandex, insisted it was improper for an 11-year-old boy to travel alone from Ghana to Nigeria simply because he had been nominated for an award and this generated a heated misunderstanding that nearly led to name-calling between Bandex and the AMAA organizers. Judith Oluwale, AMAA representative in Ghana, accused Bandex of causing financial loss to the organization. She further alleged that Bandex had threatened to take the issue to the media just to tarnish the reputation of AMAA, an allegation Bandex has categorically denied. As at the time of filing this report, it was a few hours to the awards ceremony and both Rahim Banda and Bandex were still in Accra. Speaking on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review programme, Judith Olawale literally fumbled in an attempt to give an explanation as to why they bought a single ticket for the 11-year-old boy to travel alone. According to Judith, Rahim was nominated because of his role in the movie, ‘Behind The Mask’, produced by Bandex. She said the movie had two nominations but Bandex waited until the eleventh hour before telling AMAA organizers that his second nominee could not make it to the awards. “Can you believe that we had Mr. Banda telling us late in the night that his second nominee was not going to make it as at the time we were giving him details for the ticket. The tickets are not refundable so if we have been communicating with you and you are now telling us at a time we are to fly the following day that one of your nominees cannot make it to the event, first of all you are causing financial loss to AMAA. You should have told us then we could have bought that ticket for the person accompanying him, which is you. Secondly, I was not aware, I did not hear that you (Bandex) said you wanted to go with him (Rahim) else I would have sorted it out,” Judith attempted to explain. When asked if the organizers were aware the nominee was just 11 years old and could not have travelled alone, she responded, “Exactly. But if I had been prompted. I am not blaming anybody. I am not blaming him. But all I needed was to have been prompted in the beginning so that I can sort it out. In fact, I am aware that he is a minor but it escaped me. We are all in this business of putting stuff together and anything can happen that you would actually forget that this is what it is.” Bandex, on his part, was quick to fire a response to the lame explanations from AMAA. “I wonder why Judith is not telling Ghanaians the truth because when he had that ZAAFA awards nominations, she called me and said my son had been nominated at ZAAFA and I checked it on the net so I drew their attention that the boy cannot travel alone because he is a minor and they accepted it. “So how many times do I have to keep reminding them that the boy is a minor? That is number one. And number two, her sister was the one that I personally talked to always because I remember Judith was not okay, if I say ‘okay’ I mean, she is pregnant so it is the sister who mostly communicated with me. I remember I asked the sister how many tickets they were giving us but she said the confirmation was not yet in so she could not tell how many tickets they were going to give us and I said alright. “Then I had a text message that we were flying tomorrow. It came in yesterday (Friday) that we were flying tomorrow (Saturday). But late in the night, she called and she said there was another nominee who was not travelling so I should go to the airport and change that person’s name into mine so I said how come? “I don’t see it as part of my job. If two people have been nominated in my movie and the other one was not going, the organisers are asking me to go to the airport and change the person’s name on the plane ticket into my name. This thing is never done anywhere and even if a change of name has to come in, it should be done by the organizers and not me the father of a nominee. You don’t tell me to go to the airport early morning around 5 o’clock to do that change of name before I can travel with my son.” He added, “For the past three days, I have been communicating with them and asking the same questions on the time we would be leaving and how many tickets would be available for us. But they kept saying they did not actually know the time because the list was not in yet. So when I informed the guy three days ago that this was what was happening, he said he had so many things doing and cannot reschedule it. That was three days ago so let Judith ask her sister Kharima. Let her not say I informed them yesterday. It was three days ago…I kept asking you and you said the list was not in yet and that was when the other nominee said he would not go and I informed you so why are you now telling me that I have caused financial loss and blah blah blah. No no no no. If the tickets were ready and I said change it, that is when you can say that. But I had asked you and you kept saying you do not know…Even if they had told me, maybe I could have bought my own ticket and gone with my son…How can I let the boy to fly to Nigeria alone? Come on men, I can’t do that. Not even to let him go to Circle alone.” Rahim was in 2011 nominated for the ‘Best Actor In Lead Role’ at the Ghana Movie Awards. He has starred in movies like ‘The Beast,’ ‘Millions’ and ‘Masters of the Game’

Praye Weds Beverly

Celebrated rap artiste Eugene Baah, popularly called Praye Honeho of the music trio Praye, over on April 14 2012 got married to the love of his life, actress Beverly Afaglo.
The best man for Praye Honeho was his group mate Praye Tiatia aka Big J while the bridesmaid for Beverly was her loyal pal, the pretty-faced TV presenter Amanda Jissi.
Interestingly, the third member of the Praye trio, Kente also known as Praye Tintin, did not attend the wedding.
For reasons best known to the two lovebirds, they ensured that no media person was allowed to the celebrity wedding and even persons who had cameras on them were scrutinized to ensure they were not journalists.
The wedding came off at the Royal City Hotel in Tema last Saturday. Reports said they had a traditional engagement ceremony on Friday.
The love relationship between Praye and Eugene is no secret and they did not even attempt to hide it from the media.
It was therefore not surprising when a number of celebrities including award-winning actress Jackie Appiah, Pascaline Edwards, Kalsoume Sinare and Eddie Nartey showed up at the wedding.