Radio in Accra 9
NON-COHESIVE HYBRIDIZATION
The search for true Ghanaian approaches to radio broadcasting facilitated the use of the dominant
Akan culture for the articulation of Ghanaian identity. This posed a challenge to the notions of
national identity for the ethnic minorities in Ghana, who have strong sense of cultural identity
and drive to advocate for a national identity that is not influenced greatly by any one ethnic
group.
The rise of Akan as a main language and traditional Ghanaian cultural identity on some
radio stations in Accra did not happen by force. It has happened as a negotiated non-cohesive
hybrid cultural phenomenon in Ghanaian society, due to the nature of the language, the search
for authentic forms of cultural representations, and the number of non-Akans who comprehend
the language. The Akan speaking population is 49.1% of the 18.8 million population and is by
far the dominant group in the country. The other group percentages are Mole-Dagbani 16.5%
Ewe 12.7%, Ga-Adangbe 8% and 3.9% foreign nationals (“2000 Populations Census Report,
2002). The distribution of population together with the nature of the Akan language has
facilitated the use of Akan cultural forms of presentation in non-traditional Akan areas more than
any other ethnic group. According to Baker (2000) this type of media practice reflects a politics
of ethnicity that has received attention in postcolonial times. Politics of ethnicity is a cultural
concept centered on norms, values, beliefs, cultural symbols and practices that mark a process of
cultural boundary formation. Although, ethnicity is often perceived as divisive and disruptive, its
manifestation in radio broadcasting in Accra is positive. It illustrates non-cohesive hybrid culture,
in that, in a country like Ghana with a wide variety of languages, Akan provides “the most
common shared” form of traditional representation in Accra (p.116).
Convention