Qualitative Assessment of Radio Serial Drama Rock Point 256 in Uganda

This 29-page report presents the findings of a qualitative assessment of the radio serial drama Rock Point 256 which is produced and broadcast in Uganda. The study explored the impact of the radio programme on the intended youth audience and on others who are considered significant in the lives of young people - such as local community members, teachers, and youth leaders. The report shares findings related to programming, composition and delivery of messages, comic books and other supplementary materials, and findings related to behavioural change after exposure to Rock Point 256. The evaluation found that while the drama resonated with the intended audience in terms of themes and production, the programming, messaging, and the relevance of the storyline to communities could be strengthened.

The evaluation found that the themes in the radio drama were reflective of the Ugandan society. The respondents were able to point out the unfolding themes presented in the drama such as: transactional sex, gender inequalities, adult-child communication, and life skills required by young people to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancy. However, despite identification with the themes, the respondents pointed out that there were missing links in the themes such that the storyline did not flow naturally. In terms of dialogue, some respondents expressed that long run-on conversations made it difficult to follow characters. Others pointed out that lack of conversational tone and the use of actors whose accents were not appropriate to a character's age made the drama less believable. On the positive side, the packaging of Rock Point 256 was appreciated by the audience. The report states that listeners particularly loved the sound effects, which simulated the mood of real locations.

The evaluation also gathered feedback on the comic books and other supplementary materials. It found that few people had seen a copy of the comic books. Only two versions of the comic book - the English and the Luo versions - had circulated and reached the intended groups. In spite of the rareness of comic books, participants who had only been exposed to the comic books were able to narrate the "Rock Point" stories with clarity. However, the Luo version was severely criticised related to the translation (which was based on the Acholi dialect); readers indicated that the vocabulary and syntax often made it difficult to read and interpret.

The evaluation found that most people had heard the radio promotions and some had seen the billboard advertisements and T-shirts of both the "Rock Point 256" and the related "Be a Man" radio series. The radio spots had far reaching impact in terms of public perception and listenership. However, many only heard the radio promotions and never proceeded to listen to the actual radio drama. Some respondents explained that this was because the radio advertisements gave no clear guidance on broadcast times.

According to the report, the research team observed a level of assertiveness and clarity of thought displayed by youth respondents in their discussion of issues surrounding transactional relationships. Researchers found that parents optimised the drama as a point to initiate discussion with children. This optimisation was expressed not only by the parents, but also by some young people who, as a result, mobilised their siblings and friends to listen to "Rock Point 256". The report suggests that this is indicative of social change since it was novel that parents were rallied around a common goal of ensuring the survival of their children. Schools have also appropriated the "Rock Point 256" drama as a guiding communication tool for the classroom.

Based on the findings, the evaluation makes the following recommendations:

• From an assessment of the responses concerning the appropriateness of radio stations for broadcast, there is a need to revisit the choice of stations chosen for broadcasting the programmes.
• There is a need to revisit the technical direction of the radio drama in ways that will help the actors to act with a radio audience in mind, with more emphasis on making their characters' voices distinctive. Alternatively, calling a character by name would help late entrants to know who is saying what and to whom.
• There is a need to revisit the English tonality in the English version to avoid unnecessary alienation stemming from the superficial rendition of dialogues. There is also a need to revisit the Luo and Ateso translations.
• There is a need to revisit distribution mechanisms of the comic books and other print materials and to possibly consider schools as a distribution point.
• To determine behaviour change after exposure, there is a need to follow-up with the audience through audience activation and analysis.