A retired broadcaster, Amankwa Ampofo, has recounted the standard of professionalism that characterised journalism back in his days at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
In an interview with Oman Channel, the broadcaster recalled how he was once suspended from reading the news on GBC after he wrongly pronounced the name of a town in the Kwabre East District of Ashanti Region.
“What I am saying is that it is something you have to learn because even when it comes to mentioning names, it was not like these days where people mention names anyhow and get away with it. Because in those days, everyone listened to the news on GBC from the Head of State to the leg of state.
“You will be surprised by the calls that will be coming after you are done reading the news. I remember that I once mispronounced the name of Sir John’s hometown, Sakora Wonoo, due to the way it is written. Not knowing, I should have asked my immediate boss how to correctly mention it.
“So, I was suspended from reading the news for a month. Every day I was going to the radio training school over the period just to go and learn how to pronounce names,” he recalled.
He noted that the journalism work back in the day was held to high standards and required talented persons who were committed to uphold the standards of the profession.
“In our time, the work was not for those seeking to make money. You had to have the talent or you can’t do it,” he stated.
Charles Amankwa Ampofo is a retired broadcaster who was a regular face on the state broadcaster, GBC.
Aside being a newscaster, the veteran journalist is also known as an actor and scriptwriter.
