Pre-Test: Photos of Important Kenyan Focus Groups

At PMC, audience feedback is coveted.

The insight we glean directly from our audiences is an important part of what makes our shows successful – and that includes feedback before a show hits the airwaves.

In Kenya, three focus groups previewed an upcoming PMC radio show. During this pre-test of the shows, writers and producers received audience feedback on everything from the storylines and characters, to the issues addressed, and recommendations on community outreach.

Theses focus groups are comprised of sample audiences, which include men and women from different regions. We often split groups by gender, so everyone is comfortable voicing their opinions on difficult and taboo topics the characters face.

In general, these Kenyan focus groups provided a favorable report on the show and emphasized the timeliness of the topics facing the main characters. The participants, for example, talked about how important family planning and spousal communication scenes were, particularly for younger listeners.

While some listeners stated they would like additional characters that had to overcome drug use or poverty, others praised the inclusion of difficult discussions around female genital mutilation and a particular conversation between a mother and daughter on menstruation.

Participants also suggested that listening to the show in schools, community centers, or churches could encourage more individuals to follow the show.

Pre-test focus groups are just one part of our robust monitoring and evaluation to identify the impact our stories are having on communities. We monitor throughout broadcast to provide feedback to our writers and producers. This audience insight might come from listener groups, text messaging, social media conversations, or randomized phone surveys. After a show has finished its broadcast, PMC will conduct a statistically representative endline survey to measure the impact of a show.