Since 2006, one London-based Kasapa FM has from time-to-time appeared in political news in Ghana, as a point-of-reference. I had always searched the web for specific information about this radio station but always got nothing. No physical address, no telephone number, no website, no email address, no clue to their existence, nothing. But then, one keeps hearing “Kasapa FM” in the news here in Ghana. So then, this FM station must exist!
I am also aware that Peace FM (a popular radio station in Accra that broadcasts mainly in Akan) has this Kasapa FM as one of its affiliate stations since they regularly list Kasapa FM as one of the radio networks on which their major news bulletins are broadcast.
Kasapa FM London indeed does exist – but as a pirate radio station, broadcasting in Akan, to the Ghanaian audience in London. My clue to this was a recent article published by UK-based TimesOnline. The article explains why Kasapa FM is popular among Ghanaians in London:
Pirates win listeners with non-English broadcasts
Pirate radio stations are winning ethnic minority listeners from legitimate broadcasters because their programmes are in languages other than English, Ofcom research has found.
Almost a quarter of pirate listeners in Greater London, where illegal stations are the most prevalent, tune in because they prefer to listen to shows broadcast in African or Eastern European languages.
Some non-English-speaking stations investigated by Ofcom, the regulator, have Ghanaian and Nigerian presenters, and a Polish-speaking station recently has begun broadcasting in London. Some of the stations are English-speaking but provide news bulletins on stories from countries such as Jamaica for expatriates.
Pirate radio stations are indeed popular in London. There are 13 others, aside Kasapa FM.
Two reports by OFCOM (UK’s communications industry regulator) lists Kasapa FM:
- Illegal Broadcasting. Annex1: Listening to illegal broadcasting in London [PDF]
- Illegal Broadcasting. Annex2: An independent report on listening to illegal broadcating in Hackney, Haringey & Lambeth [PDF]
Kasapa FM’s broadcast studio was also raided in November 2006, by OFCOM.
DEAR SIR,
I WILL LIKE TO START A SATELITE RADIO STATION IN ITALY AND NEED YOUR ADVICE ON THE REGISTRATION.
MY REGARDS.
SAMUEL KENNEDY.