Most radio content is not appropriate
ARMED with opinions of readers of the New Vision, Super FM cracked the first shot declaring, “Uganda has made her choice the best radio station for the year 2004 88.5 Super FM.†The war was on.
Owen Kibenge
ARMED with opinions of readers of the New Vision, Super FM cracked the first shot declaring, “Uganda has made her choice the best radio station for the year 2004 88.5 Super FM.†The war was on.
Programme directors/station managers of various FM stations headed for the trenches. “The management of the Monitor Publications limited (MPL) is delighted to announce to Uganda Radio listeners and advertisers that our new radio station 93.3 KFM has become Uganda’s number one Radio Station…†Capital FM responded in a half page advert, “91.3 Capital FM is still Number one …. Don’t be deceivedâ€. Both Capital and KFM were quoting results released by Consumer Insights a media research company based in Nairobi whose presence here in Uganda is relatively unknown.
On whether the results released by consumer insight were genuine, the Vice President of Super FM, David Ochieng said the research done by consumer insight is hopeless because their sample size is too small. The radio industry grapevine has it that Super FM paid vendors to fill in the New Vision returns thus chalking up their numbers to the best station with the best presenter.
Ochieng dismissed this as rubbish. “Quarcoo and Pike, those two guys are shrewd businessmen. they would not let those results run in the New Vision unless they are factual,†he said. He says that as smart businessmen they are using the results to get adverts for Super FM. A radio station manager who commented on condition of anonymity doubts the consumer insight survey as well. “There is no independent research in Uganda. each research is paid for they have an eye for the one who will buy it,†he said.
The manager has an axe to grind with another research firm —Steadman’s Research Services. “The parameters they use are wrong and unacceptable. for example, their description of class A, B as 15-24 years is wrong. A, B listeners are normally older people with secure income and investments. they have discerning taste and by their nature, they do not even respond to surveys.â€
The Steadman Country manager, Maggie Ireri however argues
“ A, B is a factor of the household whether they are 15-24 they take parents’ characteristics. it is assumed the child lives these characteristics.â€
She adds, “Steadman’s has gone through a learning curve and we keep changing our sample size.†She reveals that in February they will release research findings whose sample size was “1000 for Kampala and areas around it.†The survey was carried out in the five divisions of Kampala. It targeted 15 years and above and she says the sample of 1000 is appropriate.
On the sample size that is being disputed above she says statistical manipulation can be done to justify a sample size. she does not dismiss the consumer insight survey but says they must have had reason why they chose the sample. The findings that Steadman’s is going to release in February according to Ireri, is going to profile individuals by the radio they listen to, their lifestyle and products the consume apart from telling which station is number one.
Steadman’s says the survey was commissioned by the industry (advertisers), “from the advertiser point of view, they are confused on where to buy media.†Maria Kiwanuka the general manager, Radio one has this to say, “Media houses should get out of listenership surveys and do programme surveys.â€
Granted but I would quickly point out that there is not much the surveys will get from most programmes because they lack content and this is the crux of the matter. Radio stations had better fade the sound on who is number one and get down to the basics of developing content- loaded programmes.
Today Radio programmes are shallow, badly researched and their presenters are poorly remunerated and have a phobia for stepping out of the studio. This affects morale and stifles creativity.
A listener survey conducted in the Central Region by the International Labour Organisations FIT SEMA Project followed a methodology that included face-to-face interviews supplemented by Focus Group Discussions and with a sample size of 315 showed that, 49% of listeners said that music was too much.
During the Focus Group Discussion held in Mukono that had 34 people attending (chosen randomly and minutes available) a question was posed, “What would you change on FM Radio if you were able to?†Respondent, “I would ensure that presenters do not mix languages such as English and Luganda.†Another participant said, “I would take off obscenities and use proverbs instead.†The issue here is the average listener in Uganda is more sophisticated now they are not entirely interested in music but balanced programming with generous dozes of content.
With the exception of one or two radio stations in Uganda, internal research departments do not exist. Radios have not developed internal mechanisms which are able to gauge listener interest.
Existing research companies are yet to develop tools that give a true picture of listeners and their media consumption habits which possibly explain the chalk and cheese relationship between FM stations and media research companies. It is not surprising to find a radio station with majority of its listeners outside urban centres broadcasting a sponsored “drive time†show yet most listeners own donkeys, carts and bicycles. or a lunch time special hosted by an “American†DJ on a rural radio station and the people are eating fene (jack fruit) or a sugar cane and they are being given tips on how to use a napkin! As radio stations fight for the number one position one radio manager who preferred anonymity thinks that advertisers should do their own work to establish which radio station is number one.
FM radios should strengthen their research departments by not only recruiting comedians but also hiring “bean counters†(read researchers) and consequently start developing programmes that respond to audience taste.
The writer is an Assistant Project Manager ILO, Small Enterprise Media in Africa
ARMED with opinions of readers of the New Vision, Super FM cracked the first shot declaring, “Uganda has made her choice the best radio station for the year 2004 88.5 Super FM.†The war was on.
Programme directors/station managers of various FM stations headed for the trenches. “The management of the Monitor Publications limited (MPL) is delighted to announce to Uganda Radio listeners and advertisers that our new radio station 93.3 KFM has become Uganda’s number one Radio Station…†Capital FM responded in a half page advert, “91.3 Capital FM is still Number one …. Don’t be deceivedâ€. Both Capital and KFM were quoting results released by Consumer Insights a media research company based in Nairobi whose presence here in Uganda is relatively unknown.
On whether the results released by consumer insight were genuine, the Vice President of Super FM, David Ochieng said the research done by consumer insight is hopeless because their sample size is too small. The radio industry grapevine has it that Super FM paid vendors to fill in the New Vision returns thus chalking up their numbers to the best station with the best presenter.
Ochieng dismissed this as rubbish. “Quarcoo and Pike, those two guys are shrewd businessmen. they would not let those results run in the New Vision unless they are factual,†he said. He says that as smart businessmen they are using the results to get adverts for Super FM. A radio station manager who commented on condition of anonymity doubts the consumer insight survey as well. “There is no independent research in Uganda. each research is paid for they have an eye for the one who will buy it,†he said.
The manager has an axe to grind with another research firm —Steadman’s Research Services. “The parameters they use are wrong and unacceptable. for example, their description of class A, B as 15-24 years is wrong. A, B listeners are normally older people with secure income and investments. they have discerning taste and by their nature, they do not even respond to surveys.â€
The Steadman Country manager, Maggie Ireri however argues
“ A, B is a factor of the household whether they are 15-24 they take parents’ characteristics. it is assumed the child lives these characteristics.â€
She adds, “Steadman’s has gone through a learning curve and we keep changing our sample size.†She reveals that in February they will release research findings whose sample size was “1000 for Kampala and areas around it.†The survey was carried out in the five divisions of Kampala. It targeted 15 years and above and she says the sample of 1000 is appropriate.
On the sample size that is being disputed above she says statistical manipulation can be done to justify a sample size. she does not dismiss the consumer insight survey but says they must have had reason why they chose the sample. The findings that Steadman’s is going to release in February according to Ireri, is going to profile individuals by the radio they listen to, their lifestyle and products the consume apart from telling which station is number one.
Steadman’s says the survey was commissioned by the industry (advertisers), “from the advertiser point of view, they are confused on where to buy media.†Maria Kiwanuka the general manager, Radio one has this to say, “Media houses should get out of listenership surveys and do programme surveys.â€
Granted but I would quickly point out that there is not much the surveys will get from most programmes because they lack content and this is the crux of the matter. Radio stations had better fade the sound on who is number one and get down to the basics of developing content- loaded programmes.
Today Radio programmes are shallow, badly researched and their presenters are poorly remunerated and have a phobia for stepping out of the studio. This affects morale and stifles creativity.
A listener survey conducted in the Central Region by the International Labour Organisations FIT SEMA Project followed a methodology that included face-to-face interviews supplemented by Focus Group Discussions and with a sample size of 315 showed that, 49% of listeners said that music was too much.
During the Focus Group Discussion held in Mukono that had 34 people attending (chosen randomly and minutes available) a question was posed, “What would you change on FM Radio if you were able to?†Respondent, “I would ensure that presenters do not mix languages such as English and Luganda.†Another participant said, “I would take off obscenities and use proverbs instead.†The issue here is the average listener in Uganda is more sophisticated now they are not entirely interested in music but balanced programming with generous dozes of content.
With the exception of one or two radio stations in Uganda, internal research departments do not exist. Radios have not developed internal mechanisms which are able to gauge listener interest.
Existing research companies are yet to develop tools that give a true picture of listeners and their media consumption habits which possibly explain the chalk and cheese relationship between FM stations and media research companies. It is not surprising to find a radio station with majority of its listeners outside urban centres broadcasting a sponsored “drive time†show yet most listeners own donkeys, carts and bicycles. or a lunch time special hosted by an “American†DJ on a rural radio station and the people are eating fene (jack fruit) or a sugar cane and they are being given tips on how to use a napkin! As radio stations fight for the number one position one radio manager who preferred anonymity thinks that advertisers should do their own work to establish which radio station is number one.
FM radios should strengthen their research departments by not only recruiting comedians but also hiring “bean counters†(read researchers) and consequently start developing programmes that respond to audience taste.
The writer is an Assistant Project Manager ILO, Small Enterprise Media in Africa