Why Starr FM is Not Just About the Stars | It’s A Total Package…

The EIB Network is carrying out a ballsy assault on the Ghanaian media landscape. It seems to be working, especially with their flagship Starr Fm.

A recent survey by Ipsos, a credible multi-national researcher, ranks Starr Fm as the most listened to English radio station in the capital. That’s a huge achievement for a station that’s barely one year old- and especially when considering the behemoths in the English demographic such as Joy and Citi Fm.

In the wake of this survey, people have made the argument that Starr Fm is successful only because of their star power. They made a point of grabbing some of the best talent around- and they were lucky enough to have Ghana’s Drive Time king on board as a CEO.

So whilst the point has to be conceded that Starr has a lot of firepower, that alone does not make a successful station. As a sports guy I’m always ready with the sports examples, and you can ask Real Madrid’s first iteration of Galacticos in 2002 to see what all that star power won them.

During those heady days, they gathered some of the best talent in the world of football. At a point they could call on Ronaldo (the original one, not his self-absorbed, latter day namesake), Raul, Zidane, David Beckham, Luis Figo, and Roberto Carlos. From the time they all gathered in 2002, to their disbandment in 2007, Real Madrid won nothing, zilch, nada.

This was because there wasn’t much teamwork between them. What people often overlook is that stacking the star names often brings about a conflagration of egos, that can be as destructive just as well as it can be productive. You cannot succeed just by that alone.

So what else is Starr Fm doing right, to bring them so much success in such a short period of time? I think those making the criticism that it’s just the Starr names forget the rigorous media campaign they conducted even before airing their first program.

Bola Ray’s first Starr Drive must have been one of the most anticipated events of 2014. They’ve built a brand that’s easily recognizable, and that the public can identify with. Starr Fm might be made up of the crème de la crème of presenters, but it’s very much a station for the people.

Which leads to the next reason, they’ve carved out a niche with regards to interventions in the life of the ordinary people. I remember in the early days a promotion that won people some cash prizes, and a recent promotion where they flew another lucky couple to Dubai. These are interventions that leave an indelible mark on the minds of people.

In their short time on the air so far, Starr Fm has also shown a unique affinity for organising rocking occasion themed events. From last Christmas’ ‘S’ concert to the Easter bash, these are genuinely big shows which brought to the people the biggest stars. The EIB Network might organise these- but Starr is their beloved baby who gets the good rub from all these events.

Already you can see the weight of the evidence for Starr Fm doing more right than just having a star studded cast. And to come back to that point, it’s not just the star studded cast but the right, star studded cast. Starr took gambles with some of their appointments, especially with Naa Ashorkor who had little radio experience. Yet she has become one of the most recognisable faces of the station.

It’s not just about gathering names, you also need the right programming to keep your audience invested and coming back for more. Starr Fm has that, and coupled with their already formidable online presence and you have a recipe for nothing but success, success, success.

So whilst you would be right to say Starr Fm has a plethora of Starr names, you would be wrong to say that’s the only reason they’re being successful. It’s an entire package, of relevant programming, people centred interventions, and the media savvy brand presence led by Kwabena Anokye Ayisi, aka Bola Ray.

When it comes to Starr Fm, it’s not just the stars, it’s everything else.