Radio drama is apparently not a very common feature in the radio broadcast industry of Uganda. A lot has changed right from the audience,technology,demand which presumably has affected the kind of content broadcast on radios these days.
The situation was abit different about two decades ago. It was that time when radio drama was at its peak.Radio stations like Simba FM and CBS FM attracted a number of listeners who were always locked in to wait for their favorite radio drama series/program like “Kooti Lutikko” and “Banadda Twegande” respectively.
You cannot talk about popular radio drama series and leave out Rock Point 256, a 30-minute drama that targeted young people.The series began airing in Uganda in August 2005.It was part of the Young Empowered and Healthy (YEAH) initiative, which aimed to address issues like HIV/AIDS among young people. The series were produced by the Communication for Development Foundation Uganda and funded by USAID.
Between 2005 and 2010, the drama aired on 22 radio stations across Uganda in languages including English, Luganda, Runyankole, Rukiga, Runyoro, Rutooro and Luo attracting an estimated figure of eight million listeners weekly.
Rock Point 256 told the story of the people living in the imaginary fishing and farming community of Rock Point. Rock Point was a trading center similar to any town in rural Uganda. It got its name because rocks are solid and firm–like the program wanted all young Ugandan men to be. 256 is the country telephone code for Uganda,which indicated the national identity of the series.The slogan for the series was “Discover the rock in you.”
The story rotated around a young man called Steve and his wife Blessing who were the main characters. Some of the storylines in the radio drama included couple HIV counseling and testing,transactional sex,HIV/AIDS stigma among students,multiple concurrent sexual partnerships, violence again women, and alcohol abuse.
The radio drama was designed to influence the actions of its young listeners by modeling behavior change among the “transitional characters” who were similar to the program’s intended audiences. It sought to help young people choose attitudes and lifestyles that protect them from HIV,unplanned pregnancies and other social problems.The storylines were designed by a team of young Ugandan scriptwriters based on issues identified by the Uganda AIDS Commission and its partners.
According to a survey conducted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs in 31 districts of Uganda, more than half the young people had listened to the series and one half of listeners tuned in weekly or more often. Overall,75 percent of young people who listened to Rock Point 256 reported that it had influenced them to take an action. In addition, exposure to Rock Point 256 increased young people’s intentions to practice safer sex.
The survey further showed that young people who listened were significantly more likely than those who did not to plan to use condoms during their next sexual encounter, get circumcised, get tested and counselled and discuss HIV status with spouse/partner. It was also reported that Rock Point 256 listeners were more knowledgeable about HIV and had more gender equitable attitudes.
According to a survey conducted in December 2010 by Health Communication Partnership, this popular series has reached 63 % of young people aged 15-24 years in Uganda reported to have heard about Rock Point 256 in the last 12 months while 56% listened every week.
