DOCUMEFT RESUME ED 276 410 IR 012 407 AUTHOR McLellan, lain TITLE Television for Development. The African Experience. IDRC_Manuscript Report. INSTITUTION International Development Research Centre,Ottawa (Ontario). REPORT NO IDRC-MR121e PUB DATE Jan 86 NOTE 165p.; Photographs may not reproduce clearly. PUB TYPE Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Agricultural Educationi Cost Effectiveness; *Developing Nations; *Developmental Programs; *Educational Television; Foreign Countries; Health Programs; Interviews; *Media Selection; *Nonformal Education; Political Influences; *Programing (Broadcast); Womens Education IDENTIFIERS *Africa ABSTRACT Based on visits to and interviews in_ll_countries fSenegal, The-Gambia, Nigert_Ivory_Coasti_NigeriaiZaire, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon,_the_AinitediStates_i_France,Italy, and Canada) this report-provides_a detailed accountingof the present and potential_use_of_television_to:support_deveIopment through non-formal educational programming in_Africa; Past experiences,current experiments, and_future_possibiIities for improvingthe capacity of television to_serve as a tool for levelopmentare outlined-and exemples_are providld. Where televisionifailedand why it:is _ considered a disappointmentas an educationalitool in Afrida_is_also discussed, but the major focus of_the_report_is_onhow_television can' get back on,track and_what_the_chances:are_for making_changes.Ways to enhance televisioesimessage_reception suchas group_viewing, the use_oflovernment television sets_powered by_solarenergy, andi_ complementing_teIevision_broadcasts with field animation_andother media_are covered in Section 1. Section 2 describesthree _ possibilitiess_for improving television's_capacityto_educate,__ including_the use of drama to presentisocially-reIevantmessages, decentralized and narrowcastuse of-videoi_and the_importance of formative surveying,_pretesting* and_feedbaciSection 3i which considers severaliareas_in which televisioncan potentially help, focuses_onieducating women_in_sucha_way as to inspire their participation_in_the_development,process, agrictilture, a3dihealth__ _ care_éducition_The_country of Cameroon is examined_asa_microcosM_Of an African television service. Discussions_of_cost7effectivenessand political crlsiderations involved_iin_the!reinventioe_tif television as part of _Arica's broadcasting_development conclude the report. Appended are a_series:ofiblack_and white photographsillustrating various_aspects_of television development in Africaand accompanied by narrative explanations. (Author/DJR) IDRONFAR1 21e U.& DEPARTMENT OF IDUCATtON Office of Educational Research and Improvemont EDUCATIONAL-RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC/ *Thus dOcument has beenreproduced as reCeived_frOm the person or organization originating it In Minor changes have boon made to improve reproduction Quality. Points of view or opinions slalftdmihnidoeu, ment do_ not_ necessarily represent official OERI position or policy BEST COPY AVAILABLE "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATEPIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY Iain McLellan TO THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." r.,". The International Development Research Centre is a publiccorporation created byithe Parliament ofCanada in 1970 to support research designed to adapt science and te.anditig..; tb_ the nceds of developing countrieS.The Centre's activity is_concentrated in five sectors: agriculture; foodand nutri- tion sciences., health Sciences; information sciences;_SOcial Sciences;and communications. IDRC is finadcedsolely by the Parliament of Canada; its policies, hoWever, ; are set by an international Board ofGovernors. The Centre's headquarterg are inOttawa, Canada; Regional officesare located in Africa, Asia, Latin America,and the Middle East. IDRC Manuscript Report This series includes:Meetingdocuments, internal reports, and preliminary technical documents thatmay later forth the basis of a formal publication; A Manuscript Report is givena small distribution to a highly specialized Audience. IDRC-MR121e TELEVISION FOR DEVELOPMENT: The African Experience lain McLellan Material contained in thisirOpOrt it OrOdUted at_tUbmitted and_hasnot been subjected toiipeer review or rigorous editing by IDRC Communications Division staff. Mention of proprietary names does not constitute endorsement of the product and is given only for information. ain McLellan 1986 Contents Rage PREAMBLE INTRONCTION. African Television's Unfulfilled Potential- 1 FIRST SECTION: Enchancing Television's Message Reception - Group Viewing, Government Sets and Solar Power 10 - Field Animation and a Mixed Media Approach 23 SECOND SECTION: Improving Television's Capacity to Educate - Drama: Development Television's Most Potent Tool 35 - Video and Narrowcasting: TV for and by Ordinary People 48 - Formative Evaluation, Surveyin Pretesting and Feedback 67 THIRD SECTION: Sectors Television Can Help - African Women and TV: Changing Images and Progress through Access 85 - Agricultural_Programming: Reaching Rural Africans by Television 102 Page - A Receptive Audience for Health Care Informdtion 111 = TV for Development in Cameroon: Learning from Experic!nce 122 CONCLUSION: Yes to Television_ But at What Price? 135 Preamble After 25 years of experince with television in Africa, there iS widespread diSappointment with the medium and its capacity to enlighten andeducate the general population. In preparing this report, the author has taken an attitude of constructive criticism. The medium:s shortcomings are easy enough to identify. BUt i'ather than timply identify What is wrong with television in Africa; thispaper attempts to suggest ways that it might be improved and betterserve African societies. The bottom_line is that just about every African government hat dOitidedto deVel-op 6 television service of some sort or another.Television is on the African continent to stay despite all it's inherent protims. By concentrating on innovations, successful experiments and improving television's C6Oacity to -educate and enlighten; this author hopes that the most powerful and potent of the cOMMUnitatien media can be radically changed and doa better job of promoting the ocial and economic development of all citizenson the Afritan Centinent; Part of the motivation for conducting the research for this paper wat te previde thOse inVOlved in television for development in Africa the benefit of each other's experiente. As a result you will find this paper chock full of examples; _Also; because the paper was written with both the layman and the aCadeMic in Mind, it is somewhat a hybrid of styles. It is not a thesis with one underlying point to prove and it iS not an elongated magazine article. But it features characteristics_of both in terms of form. As far Is the substance is concerned, the paper considers the promise and pOtential teieVition holds for supporting development; It also looks at where the medium went wrong and why it is considered a disappointMent in Africa. And finally, the bulk of the work examines what it might take to get deVelOpMent support television back on track and what the chances are for making those changes. During the research of this paper; the author visited and tenduCted interviewt in 14 countries including; Senegal; The Gambia, Niger, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Zaire, Congo; ZaMbiai Zimbabwe, Cameroon; the United States, France; Italy and Canada. An attempt was made to make contact with a wide tOrectrUM OF African society from media professionals and government officials to peasants and development wirkers in the field. Also, interviews were conducted with a variety Of international development organizations and non-governmental agencies involved in Development Support Communications. To be sure;_most of the reseat-chwa done in the capitals where the lion's shatt of officials live and work But rural kfricans were far from forgotten and innumerable field trips W-eie organizedto meet and talk with Villagers abodt their_development and communications needS; Finally;I would like to thank Ousseynou DiOp Of RadiO Canada Internationa , Bob Huggan Of The International DevelopmentResearch Centre, Charles Morrow of The Canadian Internationa, DeVelOpMent Agency and all the others who have beenso helpfulInd supportive and believe in thelititleSS Possibilities for helping people help the-I-II-selves through DevelopmentSupport Communication-5: * * * For Jeanie Orr McLellan-Speedie, a life-long supporter 1 Introduction: African Television's Unfulfilled Potential In N'Zikpli, a small village without electricity in central Ivory Coast, the elders of the community were asked about what they had learned from the battery-powered television the government had installed in the local school in 1974. After explaining, through an interpreter, that they had learneda lot about life outside the village, the men were asked if they hadany questions about what they had seen. The chief was the first to speak: "Is : true that the white man can fly without wings?" "Why are whites always stabbing, punching and shooting each other?" another man asked. * * * Television two decades ago was thought to be the miracle needed to solvemany Of Afritet problems. It was to be the new_oracle, the catalyst necessary to usher the continent into the mainstream Of 20th century life; What has happened to television since then? Is it being used to itt full Capacity to aid development? If not, how can it be made more effective? What is the future for this potent and captivating Médium in Africa? With these questions