Francis Doku: Giovanni the ‘super sub’ on YFM
The last time the expression “super sub” was used in radio terms it was in reference to Kwesi Anim-Agyei then at Joy FM.
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He was the guy who could sit in for any of his colleagues on their regular shows and would present their show effortlessly.
It did not matter which time of the day it was or which programme it was thast Anin-Agyei had to sit-in for, he just delivered very well to the best of his abilities. Usually, his abilities came out as very stupendous on any of those shows.
Before he moved over to Joy FM, Anim-Agyei was the host of the late afternoon show on Radio Gold and therefore his usual area of presenting a show was on the drive time shows.
However, be it that he sat in for Komla Dumor on the morning show, Doreen Andoh on the midmorning show or Bola Ray on the late afternoon show, he excelled.
Radio and the listener lost Anim-Agyei aka Mr. Big Stuff, aka Busty Loose when he left to the corporate world when he joined The Coca-Cola Company where he now works as the Key Accounts Manager and with that our most cherished “super sub.”
That was then. Over the last couple of years, it seems to me that there is a new kind of “super sub” on the radio scene in the capital and that is YFM’s Giovanni Caleb Elolo Adjomah. He sits in for everybody and delivers as good, if not better than the host of the show.
As I write this piece, Giovanni has been sitting in on the morning show for Ms. Naa and he delivers the show very well. Miss Naa has her style which includes being upbeat about what she does even at that time of the morning, Giovanni is a tad calmer and laid back but he does it all the same.
Just like Miss Naa, Giovanni has a good rapport with DJ Vision who provides the music that separates YFM from the rest of the radio stations and their programmes in Accra. Imagine listening to the radio in the morning and it’s like a club in the radio at that time.
I have realised that when most of his other colleagues at not around, it is usually he who sits in for them. I have heard him a few times sitting in for Sammy Forson when the latter was unavailable to present the mid-norming show and he was very effective at delivering that as well.
There have been times that Giovanni had sat in for the host of the late afternoon show and he had performed very well as well.
Indeed, there have been days that you seem to be listening to him alone on the station as he would host every show from morning till we all go to sleep.
His good sub job doesn’t end on radio alone as he has on many occasions sat in for Flex Owusu Mantey on ETV’s Talk Showbiz to present the show effortlessly.
My piece today is to commend Giovanni for his effort over the years at doing what he can on every programme that he finds himself.
At the station he can lay claim to being an all-round person as far as presenting, DJing and production are concerned. Thank God YFM doesn’t have news programmes. He would have been heard one day presenting that as well.
Just like Anim-Adjei, Giovanni is a product of the University of Ghana, based Radio Univers. On how he got into radio, he says “I started in my second year in the University of Ghana, Legon. Then I was with Radio Univers. So I can say six years now. After school, I got called by Global Media Alliance to come and start working with them at YFM. I started as a National Service person, then I gradually rose through the ranks and now I do everything from production to on-air DJ,” he recently told NewsOne.
He mentions Komla Dumor as his inspiration to NewsOne. “I can recall that in March 7, 2009, I first introduced myself to him on Facebook. I first sent a few messages to introduce myself but there was no response because I guess the guy was busy.
Then again I sent another message saying, ‘Hi boss I’m Caleb and a student broadcaster at Radio Univers. How can I be better than you?’
Then he replied to say that it was not being better than him but about believing in what I do and learning from the best.
He also added that I should listen more, read wide and make sure that I don’t limit myself. I think his words worked perfectly well because I have been trying new challenges every day.”
Last year, the management and staff of YFM named the man who currently doubles as the stations Programmes Manager as the Worker of the Year. That in my view was not a fluke as those who are avid listeners of YFM would attest to.
I just hope he will keep his head high and work hard as he has and the sky will be the limit in his chosen field of broadcasting.
Twitter: @TheGHMediaGuru
