Is  My  Voice  Being  Heard?  Prac4cal  Interven4ons  in  Radio  as  a  Market  

Development  Strategy  

Nyambura  Githongo  (KMT)  Richelle  MaGhews  (AdFarm)  

KEY  LEARNING'S  

The  difference  between  development  communica5ons  and  media  development.  

The  difference  between  audience-­‐led  and  pay  to  play  radio  programming.  

The  value  of  audience-­‐led  programs  to  listeners  and  the  market  system.  

EXPLOITATION  OF  FARMERS  IN  NORTHERN  UGANDA  

Over  30,000  tobacco  farmers  growing  for  an  interna4onal  tobacco  company  (BAT).    •  Making  on  average  $60  -­‐100  USD  per  crop    •  They  should  have  been  making  $700  to  900  USD      Why?    •  100  buyers  and  graders  were  stealing  the  profits          of  the  farmers    •  Deliberately  mis-­‐grading  the  crops  -­‐  fraudulent  

weighing  of  crops  -­‐  exaggera4ng  the  inputs  provided  by  the  company    

•  Over  charging  for  inputs  provided  by  the  company    

OBUOBA  FM  &  GOLDEN  STORK  

•  Partnered  with  Golden  Stork  (input  company)  to  offer  a  radio  contest  on  inputs  

•  Winners  answered  ques4ons  on  air,  won  product,  and  a  training  on  how  to  use  inputs.  

•  Gicy  had  never  learned  how  to  use  inputs,  and  was  so  happy  with  knowledge  she  shared  with  the  rest  of  community  

•  Gicy  also  established  herself  as  a  distributor  of  the  product  within  her  community  

RADIO  NAM  LOLWE  -­‐  KENYA  

•  Program  contributes  to  significant  percentage  of  total  month’s  collec4on    

 •  Increased  listenership/

popularity  of  program    •  Segment  programs    •  Program  has  provided  linkages  

to  farmers  and  agro  service/product  providers  

Microphone  for  Rent!!!  •  Radio  Sta4ons  are  NOT:  

•  Giving  the  poor  a  voice  •  Facilita4ng  the  exchange  of  informa4on  

•  Advoca4ng/  watchdog  •  Linking  businesses/  consumers  

•  Valuing  their  primary  asset  –  the  audience  •  Building  trust  

 

WHAT  MEDIA  IS  SUPPOSE  TO  DO  IN  A  MARKET  SYSTEM?  

Provide  Voice  

Watchdog/  advocate  

Provide  Timely/  Relevant  Informa5on  

Link  Market  Actors  

Development  Communica4ons   Media  Development  

Who  Pays?   Donor   Adver5sers  and  adver5sing  revenue  

Who  Provides  Content?  

Donor  Project   Journalists  Quality  sources  

Who  Produces  the  Program?  

Donor   Radio  Sta5on  

Ownership  of  Content  

Donor   Radio  sta5ons  (audiences)  

Outcome   Supply  driven  Top  down  Unsustainable  

Inves5ga5ve    Independent  Sustainable  

DEVELOPMENT  COMMUNICATIONS  VS.  MEDIA  DEVELOPMENT  

THREE  COMMON  APPROACHES  TO  THE  USE  OF  RADIO  

1.   Pay  to  Play  •  Content  and  

adver5sing  is  not  separated  

•  Adver5ser  decides  content  

•  Supply  driven  •  Top  down  approach  

2.  Development  Communica4ons  •  Donor  develops  content  •  Donor  funded  •  Donor  produced  •  Top  down  informa5on  •  Supply  Driven  •  Unsustainable  

3.  Audience-­‐led  -­‐  Adver5sing  Revenues  and  sponsorship  separate  from  content  -­‐  BoRom-­‐up  content  approach  -­‐  Sta5on  Controls  Content  –  generated  by  journalists  and  quality  sources  -­‐  Quality  Control  Measures  in  place  -­‐  Funded  through  adver5sing  -­‐  Independent    -­‐  Sustainable  

MALARIA  

HIV/AIDS    

•  Target  of  safe  sex  campaigns  have  been  youth  •  Recent  HIV/AIDs  sta5s5cs  indicate  HIV/AIDS  spreading  through  marriages  

•  How  could  media  providers  address  this  issue  from  an  audience-­‐led  perspec5ve?  

BUSINESS  MODEL  OF  RADIO  STATIONS  

Content  

Audience  Adver5sers  

Quality  content  is  developed  to  aRract  and  address  the  needs  of  an  audience.  

Quality  content  builds  trust  and  loyalty  between  the  sta5on  and  the  audience  and  increase  the  sta5ons  influence  on  the  audience.    

Adver5sers  want  to  buy  ads  around  popular  content  on  sta5ons  with  high  audience  loyalty  and  influence.   Radio  

Sta5on  

CURRENT  BUSINESS  MODEL  OF  RADIO  STATIONS  

Microphone  for  Rent!!!  

No  value  placed  on  audience   No  value  placed  on  quality  content  

GOAL  OF  MEDIA  DEVELOPMENT    

ü   Focus  on  quality  and  audience-­‐led  programming    ü   Place  value  on  needs  of  audience  

ü  Build  trust  and  influence  with  audience    ü  Advocate  on  behalf  of  the  audience  ü  AGract  audience  through  interac4ve  and  appealing  programs  

 

ü  AGract  adver4sers  through  popular  independent  programming  that  is  listened  to  by  their  target  audience  

PROCESS  OF  ENGAGING  WITH  A  RADIO  STATION  

Define  criteria  for  selec5ng  sta5ons  

Meet  sta5ons  &  introduce  concept  of  audience-­‐led  programming  

Give  them  5me  to  think  and  decide  if  they  want  to  engage  (self-­‐selec5on)   Decide  on  

sta5ons  to  partner  and  their  needs  

Internally  evaluate  possible  resources  to  support  sta5ons  

Orientate  resource  people  as  required  ie.  radio  mentor  

Formalize  rela5onship  with  sta5on  and  iden5fy  baseline  informa5on  

Work  with  M&E  to  develop  manageable  indictors  

Engage  in  the  ac5vity  

Together  with  the  sta5on  develop  program  monitoring  tools  and  other  performance  improvements  

REALITY  OF  ENGAGING  WITH  RADIO  STATION  

Define  criteria  for  selec5ng  sta5ons  

Meet  sta5ons  &  introduce  concept  of  audience-­‐led  programming  

Give  them  5me  to  think  and  decide  if  they  want  to  engage  (self-­‐selec5on)   Decide  on  

sta5ons  to  partner  and  their  needs  

Internally  evaluate  possible  resources  to  support  sta5ons  

Orientate  resource  people  as  required  ie.  radio  mentor  

Formalize  rela5onship  with  sta5on  and  iden5fy  baseline  informa5on  

Work  with  M&E  to  develop  manageable  indictors  

Engage  in  the  ac5vity  

Together  with  the  sta5on  develop  program  monitoring  tools  and  other  performance  improvements  

RADIO  MAMBO  In  the  beginning:    •  Inconsistent  program  line-­‐up  

•  Program  would  only  air  if  sponsor  to  pay  

 

•  Did  not  produce  program  in  a  team  •  Effect  quality  control    

•  Inconsistent  interac4on  with  listenership  groups  

RADIO  MAMBO  Noteworthy  Changes:  •  Work  with  sta4on  to  improve  content  

to  be  audience-­‐led  •  Review  programs  and  provide  

feedback  •  Mentor  the  produc4on  and  marke4ng  

team  •  Develop  marke4ng  strategies  that  

work  for  both  the  audience,  sta4on,  adver4sers  

•  Firm  up  rela4onship  with  listenership  groups  

•  Think  strategically  on  the  direc4on  they  want  the  other  programs  to  move  

•  Develop  quarterly  strategic  plans  

INSIGHTS:  RADIO  MAMBO  •  Listenership  

Clubs    •  Live  Events    •  Feedback  from  

audience  -­‐  witchdoctors  on  air  

 •  Need/  value  for  

community  success  over  individual  success  

 

WHY  ARE  THE  CHANGES  MADE  BY  RADIO  MAMBO  BENEFICIAL  TO  THE  

AUDIENCE?  

HOW  DOES  MEDIA  DEVELOPMENT  MAKE  YOUR  JOB  EASIER?    

•  Plamorms  to  examine  issues  •  Increase  the  flow  of  credible  informa4on  •  Work  with  partners  to  be  credible  sources  •  Media  rela4ons  •  Advocacy  •  Provide  voice  to  marginalized  popula4ons  •  Feedback  mechanism  to  understand  the  market