@radio-upper-west thank you for the contribution. I like what you said here, ideas on a topic do not flow from one direction but move to and fro. I would like you to clarify though, at which stage does this happen? Is it program production or during broadcast? I am asking because you also say there won’t be a need for that much time for questions
Hi everyone,
To me, Interactive Radio is the communicating of people on particular topics. There is exchange of information or we can say sharing between producer, presenter and their audience/listeners.
Interactive radio takes away the monotony of one person lecturing while others listen and instead we get a platform where views and reactions/feedback are shared instantly.
Interactive radio gives ordinary people a chance to participate in conversations that matter or touch them. If one wants to make programs that matter, and be able to make peoples’ voices to be heard AND EVEN OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO THE VOICELESS TO BE HEARD THEN INTERACTIVE RADIO WOULD BE IT!
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HI,
I AM SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF A RADIO PROGRAM THAT IS INTERACTIVE. This is a local language program entitled “Palamenti Yaffe” literally meaning "OUR PARLIAMENT". It discusses issues that have occurred during the course of the week and it is held every Saturday morning 10:00 to 12:00 (Midday) on a local station known as CBS F.M. The presenter is the speaker of that ‘parliament’.
Hi Rehema
Indeed, that is the main purpose, to get everyone participating in issues that affect them
Yes please tell us more about the program.
the two radio program discussed on the platform are:
The French Modulator and Cameroonian Meli Rostand’s experience in “Mapare”, when he visited this place and recorded people’s voices airing out their concerns and later broadcasting them on his station. It is good to hear that the area Sub divisional officer signed a decision to create a market in the village. That is the power of radio!
The second one is whereBusi talked about the “English in Action radio program”. Would I consider this interactive radio?
YES this is interactive radio. The fact that it combines radio broadcasts with active learning as well as offering the children and the teachers an opportunity to give their concerns through the Teacher’s Workbook for the day’s activities and send them in of feedback form that reflected on how the lesson went and what the pupils struggled with. And since the English In Action Team used the feed back for moving forward as we were informed, then it makes it an interactive radio activity.
Since the schools were provided with windup radios to tunein at the time of broadcast and solong as there was a teacher with them and they forwarded their concerns then that was interactive radio indeed.
Since it was in a women’s magazine it attracted even the children’s mothers too who I am sure they also found means of reacting to the programs/sending feedback to the English In Action Team.
Apart from the programs being an hour long which was too LONG for the children’s perception, it still was an interactive program.
Thank you and nice weekend.
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Yes Busi and Blythe,
This is about ‘Palamenti Yaffe’ program:
The host has people in the studio about five or so, he gives them time to say what has made news for them during the week, having done that, he goes ahead and narrates what he considers to have made news for him that week then the program begins rolling.
In studio his participants range form parliamentarians, other politicians, local leaders, religious, teachers, businessmen and women, activictist, opposition party members …name it. These people respond to questions which the presenter asks them and they explain and discuss them, then he invites callers to give views and he also gets reactions from Facebook and Whatsup which he also plays and some times if a person has been discussed in the programs, he calls and give clarifications. The presenter also calls prominent people who can not come for the program and they give their views on phone and this is well too good because you get to hear a lot of information about issues that concern the people.
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What about the listeners? Do they play any role? Remember you said it very well earlier on
It was an oversite: The last twenty minutes are usually given to the listeners who call and give in their views and other concerns thus making it very interactive. The panelists are given chance to respond to the callers/listeners’ concerns.
Thank you.
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Dear colleagues in the platform,
Sorry for sharing late about Interactive Radio! Here below is my submission.
1.My understanding of what interactive radio is:
In simple terms, interaction or to be interactive is a- two-way traffic in which say; the Presenter, Reporter or interviewer talks and gives time to the listener or interviewee to respond or to share. In other words, the parties involved each have time to contribute or talk and give time to listen to the other. Therefore, Interactive Radio is that kind of Radio programme that involves both the Presenter/Interviewer and the listener/audience. Both parties mentioned here take part in a Radio programme and discuss together issues as put forward by the organizer of the programme, or say the Presenter or Host or Interviewer. They both share and give time to listen to each other. By doing so, they make the programme interactive, but also enjoyable!
If a programme is not interactive, it tends to bore the audience! But if interactive, then the people feel they are part of it and share what they know about the subject matter as they listen too through the guidance of the host. But i would also share by saying that a good interactive radio or radio programme has to have both women and men represented. This is so because men tend to dominate say in an agriculture programme by sharing what they feel is good practice or produce or farm inputs are better for them. If women are not given chance, then theirs which is mainly food for family, vegetables and other farming practices that are gender friendly may not be given space. In Uganda for example, men dominate the airwaves in case an opportunity for calling in a programme is given. So women should be considered to share mostly what they feel is better for them since they are the ones concerned mostly with food production to feed their families, to cook nutritious foods and what best if for the family in terms of food and vegetables . So both sexes give it the best to an interactive radio programme.
- An example of a radio program that is interactive - This is a Radio Programme called Tukyeese presented by one of my colleagues at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) Radio. Tukyeese is going up to morning…It is presented on one of the local Radio channels of UBC Radio called UBC Butebo. It is done in a local language called Lusoga. It is presented from Midnight to 6a.m- Monday to Friday. It is segmented with music, greetings and topical issues on gender and development, family life education.
The Presenter of this programme has two telephone lines in studio-one line is called on by only men and the second one is only for women. He says he wants to have both men and women interact and share equally in the programme. That most women do not have chance to call in especially when still very busy with house chores. Also that the line may be jammed with a lot of male callers making women not to go through. So since the programme airs late after work, both men and women participate equally and discuss real issues pertaining to Gender and development and other family related issues. Now that famine has been tabled of recent in this programme-famine being an issue in Uganda today, women shared with men and the Presenter and you could hear they both suggested points that are of benefit. So this is the kind of programme i share here.
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Dear Radio-Upper-West, thank you for sharing on the topic of interactive radio. However, on the example you gave of an interactive programme, you have said that you had the radio programme last year where you had to ensure that you used the necessary tools like phones, beep to voice etc…who did the audience or listeners call in to interact or ask questions on that campaign?
Also, was it a one time programme or a campaign that ran for sometime? If so…how long was the campaign…and did you have feed back?
Dear Kasooha, i really appreciate your submission on interactive radio. It sounds good and i have learned something too especially the use of ICT. I admire this because it seems some of you colleagues are advanced with those other advanced tech or equipment. However, you have said that interactive radio gives instant feedback that is relevant which to me i say no. In Radio for example in a live talk show…we face a challenge of any callers calling in with irrelevant responses…have you experienced so? So how can the host make it relevant there.
Also, you have said that both parties in interactive radio value each other…is it? For me i host those who can contest others’ submissions and i try as much as possible to bring them together and to value submissions and to guide through how it would best be. What about this where they are not agreeing?
Hello everyone
Wow we have come to the end of the second week of our discussion. Thank you to all who contributed. All contributions show that people understand what interactive radio is. Thank you to all who even shared programmes on interactive radio. I was really impressed by @obolo 's program https://www.facebook.com/143kasa where he makes sure he uses any platform available to reach out to the listeners who in turn interact with the program.
I will not quote everyone but there has really been great points in each contribution I read.
Sarah @smawerere said :
So much has been said and even though said differently, the meaning is the same.
Big up to all of you for sharing your understanding. We learn a lot through sharing understanding and experiences.
If you have not yet participated, you can use the weekend to do so as we will start a new topic on Monday.
Enjoy your weekend
Busi
Interactive Radio literally refers to a programme(s) on Radio that is or could be educative and informative talking about trends, happenings, myth, societal issues, political, sports, customs and traditions which allows the listerning audience to participate either via phone calls, sms or social media. The presenter gives the listerner the opportunity and plaform to air their views, opinions and comments as well as ask relevant questions to the topic, at the end a solution is provided or a stance taken in the best interest of all that is involved.
A typical example can be on the topic: “FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION” why some remote communities in some African countries still encourage the practice? and its devastating effects on women.
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This should certainly be a very interesting topic, i guess issues about the constitution and laws with its accompanying statutes are discussed extensively here.
See you on Monday, actually it is tomorrow.
Thank you Busi, Meli Rostand and all colleagues in the platform for sharing such rich info on Interactive Radio!!! I have learned a lot.
However, i would also like to share that interactivity and feedback gathering differs from audience to audience. If Obolo for instance serves a high tech young audience, then interaction through FB (Facebook), twitter etc is the best in this era. However, some of us handling real subsistence farmers in rural settings as Meli shared, we still gather feedback either instantly through phone-ins or wait to receive such feed later on. Phones are almost everywhere…but believe me, there are still those who have no access to phones yet or even if they have them, they will not have them on all the time due to factors like lack of power to charge the phone all the time etc. Also pre- recorded programmes are still standard in some of our stations, so if you play a recorded progarmme…there is no instant feedback got just like Meli said. But the programme has to be interactive through having various voices that are different to get diverse opinions. These will continue to happen. So we should not ignore these as broadcasters.
hello everyone, my name is hassan mugabe i work with radio vok, voice of kamwenge 87.9fm in western Uganda. i must admit i have missed out on the discussions because of the hectic work schedule but thought its never too late for me to submit my utmost contribution.
my understanding of interactive radio is thus a broadcast where the moderator is directly interructing with farmers in their fields and sharing one to one with them.i believe reaching out to the fields and having a one to one interruction on site gives me a feel of what happens in the field other than hearing from them on the phone or online.
please allow me submit ma small audio interview with a volunteer farmer from usa whose been in nyabbani subcounty of kamwenge district doing voluntary work of empowering local farmers with skills on how to uppergrade their agriculture practices en thus better yields.
madam catherine got touched by the dire need of the people of the western uganda district of kamwenge and nyabbani subcounty and went back home to the usa only to fundraise for them bicycles which she handed over to them this month.