Abeiku Santana ( @AbeikuSantana ) is Radio: His Professional Abilities Cannot Be Compared

I have not been in radio for a long time but I have been following radio since infancy, have read and studied a lot about broadcasting and by listening to Abeiku Aggrey Santana, I am inclined to believe he is one of the few presenters who can be called born presenters. 'Santana' is simply another word for radio!

I know he started radio around 1998 in Koforidua on Eastern Region's premiere radio station Radio Z (now Eastern FM). Then at a very young age, most people were marveled at his unique style of presentation and his versatility. Then he was poached to Kumasi.

When he came to Accra, he caused great stir in the radio terrain when he hosted Adom FM's 'Ofie Kwanso.' I can say without a scintilla of doubt that Santana's style and oomph vitiated the powers of Mikki Osei Berko (then at Radio Gold) and Fiifi Banson (Peace FM), who hitherto were the reigning champions as far as late afternoon show was concerned.

Santana brought onto the mass radio market, a model that was endearing, innovative, fun-filled and very interactive. He was the one who preceded his drive programme with long hours of gospel music, amidst inviting listeners' thanksgiving to God. At a point he is a pastor, another time, he is a philosopher, musician, comedian or actor.

He had a style that would always make people listen to him. Santana has something most radio presenters have not. He knows what his listeners want and would always give it to them when they need it. On the spur of the moment, he delivers expertly to the relish of his fans.

From his days at Adom FM to Okay FM, this presenter has never failed his listeners. While at Adom FM, anytime he was absent and other presenters sat in for him, the gouge he created was difficult to fill.

The only person who was able to fill in somehow for him was Dr. Prekese but even with that, anytime Santana returned and came to take over, the difference was clear. Now see what has happened to the drive time show of Adom FM. It is not as though Jerry Justus is not doing well on 'Ofie Kwanso.' The issue is that, that show was created around a radio stalwart whose presentation skills and personality was and still is unparalleled (Abeiku Aggrey Santana).

Listen to radio stations across Ghana and every late afternoon show host who does for the mass market wants to follow the 'Santana Model.' His style has been widely accepted to the extent that if you don't do drive (late afternoon show) just as he does, you are described as not fit for drive show.  This is the man Ghana needs to appreciate and honour for his ingenuity and creativity. It is Santana who made me realize that presenters can make people listen to them irrespective of what time they appear on radio.

At Adom FM, he tried doing shows at night unlike his usual late afternoon stuff and truth be told it was a sell-out. A lot of people listened, when under normal circumstances, listeners would tune off should it be any other presenter. Recently, he has tried doing extended drive, most time extending to 11:30pm and it`s impressive how even deep in the night, people had stayed glued to their radio sets to listen to him. Not long ago, I heard him say very soon he will be coming on air in the evenings and I know when he starts this, some people will copy him. I wouldn't be surprised if he does that to gain more listeners than those who do their shows during the day.

It was good to have noticed that the humorous presenter is also very intelligent. Anytime he has gotten serious and has done interviews, he proved how intelligent he was. Aside that his approach to presenting his inspirational segment has shown how well read and knowledgeable he is. If there is a presenter who does Live Presenter Mentions (LPMs) better than any other presenter in Ghana, it is Abeiku Santana. He doesn't just talk. He weaves the LPMs around real life instances to make the presenter relate better to the item or product being plugged.

After doing the LPM, he may have educated the listener about something they may not have known, giving a vital information in relation to the thing being advertized, as well as convincing the listener to patronize the item. Undoubtedly, Santana is a great guy in the broadcasting sector and needs to be honoured. He has contributed immensely to the evolution of radio in Ghana, and the history of Ghana's radio industry is incomplete without his name.

By Kwame Dadzie