Audience Survey Conducted on “Dewel” Radio ... - FES Ethiopia

objective is to promote public awareness about key development issues that deals
primarily with poverty, environment, gender, food security and so on. It provides
materials and research out puts for policy makers, policy planners, government
officials for civil society organizations as well as providing information on these
issues to the public so that the public will have the possibility to make informed
decisions as well as intervening in the policy making process. Thus, coming up
with the idea of reaching the wide audience with a radio program was the main
objective of starting “Dewel” on FM Addis 97.1
Adding the previous executive director of FSS says, “Conferences and workshops
could only attract very small number of people.” Because of this FSS used to be
criticized as an elitist organization who only talks to the privileged few. The idea
of setting up a radio program is to reach as many people as possible and to share
information to the wider public.
Issues/message Development
Messages transmitted on “Dewel” radio program, from December 2003 to March
2007 was reviewed by the evaluators. Various issues have been treated on the
radio program in different approaches. The issues mainly focus on key
development issues such as poverty, environment, HIV AIDS, gender equality,
food security, provision of social services such as education, Health and water and
so on.
Issues are provided to the producers of the radio program by FSS. Decisions are
made by FSS on the contents of the programs. According to the communication
officer of FSS, issues are identified from the research results and forums
conducted and organized by FSS and also different issues discussed by various
non-governmental and governmental organizations. Selecting the topics is entirely
the responsibility of FSS with a room for WAAG to deal with timely issues or
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