Anita Erskine, a bi-lingual host of different popular shows on different TV platforms including Dstv and a key figure in empowering women and African brand has revealed the reason she finally decided to join Starr fm.
Anita Erskine is said to have taken the M-NET audition panel by surprise in 2007 to gain the hostress of the African lifestyle tv magazine program "STUDIO 53" on M-NET. She is said to have beaten the likes of Chris Attoh, Jon Germain, Eddie Blay and Earl Ankrah to gain that opportunity.
Today, she is the latest star to join Accra-based new radio station,
Starr FM, and will be co-hosting the
Starr FM Drive with
Bola Ray. She becomes the first lady to be co-host of the show and was officially outdoored on Friday,17th April,2015 at the Starr fm studios..
Anita Erskine told
NEWS-ONE’s Francis Addo in this exclusive interview that the money involved in joining
Starr Fm was enough to make her happy but added that it wasn’t easy arriving at the decision to join
Starr Fm.
Is this the first time you’re going to be on radio?
No, I was on radio for the first time between 1995 and 1999 and that was now defunct
Groove Fm; and then I was on radio in Toronto,
Flow 93.5, for about three years and then I moved to Ghana. It’s been 10 years since I did radio, so this is going to be a fantastic opportunity to re-invent myself… This is my second time on radio in Ghana. This month marks 20 years since the first time I went on air (radio). I went on air stealing time from other presenters, trying to get my voice out there. I was 15 or 16 years or so.
How difficult was it accepting Starr Fm’s offer?
Before I decided to come to
Starr Fm, I had to do a lot of soul searching. Who am I now? You know I am 20 years older than I was when I started radio. How have things in my environment changed? And do I fit in that environment? Do I have something to say? Do I have something to share that would allow our listeners to benefit? And I’m talking about Ghanaian, Africans in the Diaspora, because we are also online. So I accepted it, one, because Bola Ray has a vision; he has a dream. You know, he fights for success and I am just that kind of person. He understands what I am trying to achieve and accomplish in my life as a wife, as a woman, as a professional, as an entrepreneur and all the things you can list. So it wasn’t an easy decision. It was difficult, in that, it is new territory in the sense that it is
Starr but it wasn’t a difficult decision because I knew that radio ultimately was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to be a more typical media mogul sooner than later.
Is Anita still going to be on TV?
Yes, I am; I am still going to be on TV. Like I said, I want to be a media mogul. I still do have my show on
Viasat One. I have a few shows on
Metro TV as well. I am all over the place basically for all the right reasons, and radio is that beautiful part that completes me.
What will be the difference between Anita on radio and Anita on TV?
Well the shows are different; the listeners and viewers are different. I have a team of producers, so we work together to see exactly what I need to apply in any situation. So I will say on TV it depends on what we are talking about; on radio it depends on what we are talking about. But ultimately, the one thing about me is I know I am energetic, I love to have fun and I love to share. So you will definitely see the same things on the two platforms. As far as content is concern, well it is not all in my hands but we will try and keep the energy as consistent as possible.
From afar what has been your opinion of Starr Fm?
Starr Fm; from day one, I knew it represented the new Ghanaian—the new Ghanaian who loves to have fun, the new Ghanaian who is open-minded, the new Ghanaian who will like to try new things, the new Ghanaian who really likes to work hard and not have things given to him/her easily and the new Ghanaian who represents the hustle. So if you look at all the presenters, all the DJs, etc on
Starr Fm, everybody is representative of that: that listen, this is what I want and I am happy to work hard to get [it].
What’s the contract? How long are you going to be with Starr Fm?
As long as I want.
Starr Fm wants me as long as I want them.
I know you won’t tell me but how much money is involved?
Let’s just say it is enough to buy as many yachts, as many houses and as many shoes that I want. But most importantly, it is enough to make me happy… (
laughs out loud). That’s a nice question.
Any persons you will like to thank?
I want to say a big thank you to my husband; he’s been very supportive. My work is not easy; I go up and down a lot. Sometimes I am very stressful [
sic] on myself and he is everything around me. He is my devil’s advocate and at the same time my big supporter. I want to say a big thank you to Bola Ray; he didn’t have to do this but he did. And when I asked him why, he asked why not? My parents obviously; they’ve always told me, ‘work hard, don’t take any short path, don’t accept anything just because it seems it will get you to your destination quicker. Work hard and you can stand tall to speak boldly anywhere and everywhere;’ and that is who I am today. And of course, thanks to people like you who give me the platform to share my dreams, allowing my dreams to impact other people. So, yeah, thanks to everybody and
Starr; the staff has been so supportive… They held my hand through the whole process. They love me and I love them back and I am so happy about the future.
Source: NewsOne
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