GBC Is 80 Years Today

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation is eighty years today. On July 31st, 1935 Broadcasting began in Ghana from a wired relay station opened in Accra. 

The brain behind the introduction of broadcasting in Ghana, was the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Arnold Hodson, affectionately known as the "Sunshine Governor". 

He was ably assisted by a British Radio Engineer, F.A.W. Byron. 

On that historic day, gramophone records comprising of martial and light music were relayed and exactly 1745 GMT the voice of Sir Arnold Hodson came through to break the tension and the suspense with this explicit message"

<i><b>“One of the main reasons for introducing the Relay Service is to bring News, Entertainment and Music into the homes of all and sundry. This will bring to an end the barriers of isolation and ignorance in the path of progress and also to enable the people of Gold Coast to improve on their very rich cultural music".</b></i> 

The new broadcasting Service was code-named Radio "ZOY". 

It was manned by eight technicians and housed in a small Bungalow on 9th Road near the Ridge Police Station in Accra. 

Broadcasting first begun in four Ghanaian languages namely Fanti, Twi, Ga, Ewe and later Hausa. 

Part-time staff were engaged to translate and announce the news in these languages until 1943 when full-time staff were recruited.

GBC