I'm currently unemployed on radio - Blakk Rasta

Source: Daily Graphic Ghana  -  “Yes, I am currently unemployed,” Blakk Rasta said, “I am unemployed on radio, but still employed as a musician and a writer.”

That was his response to my question about whether I could refer to him as unemployed since he had chosen to resign from Hitz FM .

Today is Thursday and so it is a fact that the former host of Taxi Driver 

on Hitz FM’s resignation last Monday from the station is no news, nor is his later explanation that his decision to resign was because he did not feel he had the support of the management of the Multimedia Group Limited when he was invited by Parliament’s Privileges Committee to answer questions on allegations he was purported to have made.

It is no news also that Blakk Rasta announced his resignation from Hitz FM on social media when he tweeted and posted it on Facebook last Monday afternoon. “Just resigned from Hitz FM after 8 years in action. Not being inspired anymore. Thanks for the love and energy. Will give you details soon. To Jah be the glory....#Kuchoko,” he wrote on his Facebook wall.

But since I decided to get in touch with the firebrand radio presenter when I saw this post to unravel what was the motivation behind the decision that propelled the 140-character announcement, I must as well share with you my much cherished readers what I found.

He told me that, although his official reason for resigning was that he “was not inspired to work there anymore” it was more because he felt let down by the station (of course you know that already but plenty meat doesn’t spoil the soup).

He said his resignation was immediate and that he would pay the company one month salary in lieu of notice.

You will recall that just recently, the Privileges Committee of parliament invited Blakk Rasta to appear before it to explain his allegation that 80 percent of members smoke weed.

Blakk Rasta had said he would go and defend himself, however he went and upon the advice of his lawyer apologised to the chamber of deputies, adding that he said that because he was on “heat”. Or something to that effect.

Blakk Rasta said his immediate supervisor, Mark Okraku Mantey told Parliament that he gave the interview, in which he was alleged to have said that 8 percent of Parliamentarians smoked marijuana, in his capacity as a musician and not as a presenter of Hitz FM, although Parliament had invited him as a presenter of the station. That did not go down well with him.

He also intimated that the company gave him a lawyer he could not trust to get him out of the situation.

“They gave me a lawyer who is a law student at GIMPA for such a big case so I had to look for a qualified lawyer at my own cost. I could not risk going to Parliament with the HR who is a student lawyer as well,” he said.

Blakk Rasta said he also felt betrayed by stations within the Multimedia Group which kept playing the tape when Parliament hadn’t even asked for it.

“Joy FM and Adom FM played the tape when that wasn’t what Parliament was looking for. I felt that they should have protected me and not make available evidence that Parliament hadn’t asked for.”

When the news broke, some people had argued that perhaps he was sacked and not that he resigned as he claimed in his tweet, but a source at Multimedia Group confirmed that he actually resigned, but added that they believe Blakk Rasta did so because of new changes in programming and changing the time of his show that the station was introducing.

“There are new programme changes which would see Andy Dosty taking over Blakk Rasta’s time, followed by Kwame B and then Doctor Pounds (formerly of Pluzz FM whose conversation we shall have in due course), before Blakk Rasta would take over till midnight,” a source told me. “Perhaps he did not like these changes and the reason he decided to resign.”

When I put that to Blakk Rasta he denied that it was the reason he left. “The change was mentioned about six months ago but it was shot down.

I had not heard they were going to be introduced, it was after I had tendered in my resignation before calling Mark only to be told of that,” Blakk Rasta insisted.

“In any case, even if you put me at midnight, I will wake people up and they will listen to me. I don’t care what time you give me, I Blakk Rasta will ensure that people listen to me. My decision to leave is not because of the time, but because I am not inspired to work with the station anymore to carry out my duty.”

He believes that he is leaving at a time when his popularity is very high. “I am leaving Hitz at the time that the attention is on me and not on Hitz. Look, my programme has five sponsors and I have a lot of listeners,” Blakk Rasta noted.

Meanwhile, the man who recently released his Serwaa Akoto single assured his loyal fans to expect to hear him back on the radio in August. Blakk Rasta, who plans on having two trips to Europe and then to the United States over the next one month, assured his fans that he will be on air before end of August.

When I asked which station he would be working with from August, Blakk Rasta said he didn’t know for now but was very certain he would be on another station.

“People are talking to me from all over since they heard I had resigned and want me to work for them,” he mentioned.

He confirmed that Kasapa FM was among those seeking his service as rumoured, but he was yet to discuss anything with any station.

KANKAM AND OWARE AT NYIRA FM

Two weeks ago, I had a message in my Twitter Direct Message (that’s the same as inbox if we were talking in Facebook) from an acquaintance in Kumasi.

He said he had some big news for me and so I asked what it was about and he said Bright Kankam and Oware were on their way to Nhyira FM.

In my heard, I said “Dude, how is Kankam and Oware leaving Angel FM to Nhyira FM a big news?”

You did not tell me that Frankie Taylor has finally left Fox FM or Sometimer Otuo-Acheampong has decided to follow Listowell Yesu Buckarson into politics, so where is the news?

In any case, these are two sports presenters who are always on the move anyway from one station to the other and then back to the station they left before and the cycle starts again. So what’s the news, Mr. Acquaintance? I didn’t follow the lead.

However, I had another call from someone else saying the same thing and so I asked what the big deal was and I was educated on the level these two sports presenters occupy in the sports presenting food chain in Kumasi at the moment and why that makes this a big news.

If what I heard is true then Kankam and Oware or Xtra as he is known on radio are the two reigning dons of sports reporting in Kumasi.

It is a well-known fact that Sometimer is the doyen and his heir apparent was Joe Laka, but since Laka went of radio these two have emerged at the top of the log in Kumasi.

They work together and lately they move to the same station together. Let me try and track their many movements and hope you arrive safely with me.

Bright Kankam Boadu used to work at Fox FM as the deputy head of sports to Sometimer before leaving for Angel FM about seven years ago to work as deputy head of sports under Joe Laka.

When his contract with Angel FM has expired he went back to Fox FM then in less than a year went back to Angel FM again and now heading to Nhyira FM.

Richard Osei Oware also worked at Fox FM before moving to Otec FM and then later joined Joe Laka at Kessben FM. He moved to Angel FM with Joe Laka.

When his contract expired and he chose to move on with Kankam to Fox FM and in less than a year they both moved back to Angel FM.

Now the two journeymen have found themselves at Nhyira FM and the question is will they stay here long enough or it’s just another temporary stop in their radio journey?

I wish Bright and Xtra all the very best in this new endeavour within the Multimedia Group.