Category: World Service
Date: 16.12.2005
Printable version
Around 2,000 Ugandans have voiced their expectations of the 91Èȱ¬'s African programming.
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They were responding to the questionnaire distributed during the 91Èȱ¬ World Service roadshow across the country in October, which promoted connectivity with the flagship programmes.
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The results have been welcomed by the 91Èȱ¬ as an invaluable insight which will hone the 91Èȱ¬'s debate on African issues.
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One of the 91Èȱ¬'s leading African presenters, Paul Bakibinga, himself a Ugandan, was the 'face' of the 91Èȱ¬ roadshow and urged people to fill in the survey and inform programme-making: "Ugandans came out in their thousands to meet the 91Èȱ¬ mobile stage that toured the country, and their enthusiasm was humbling.
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"We want our African audiences to engage in the 91Èȱ¬'s global conversation, and with their responses the Ugandans have provided us with clear understanding as to what the conversation should be about."
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Solomon Mugera, presenter of Africa, Have Your Say, said their input provides the programme-makers with key knowledge: "Africa, Have Your Say gives Africans across the continent and the world the opportunity to reach out for each other, sharing views and experiences on issues from politics and education to health and business.
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"While Ugandans mostly focussed on domestic issues, there was a desire to hear about the rest of Africa and particularly to learn lessons from other countries across the continent.
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"Political themes were very high on the agenda, with a clear desire for more accountable government, and while they wanted to discuss the situation in the north of Uganda, they also want to discuss wars in other parts of Africa and to debate the best way to find peace."
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Solomon Mugera added that the Ugandans were keen to debate health problems: "People are particularly interested in issues surrounding the prevention and treatment of HIV/Aids.
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"Education was another major topic, particularly the need for equal opportunities. A lot of people - a large proportion of them men - raised the subject of women's issues, including domestic abuse."
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Vera Kwakofi, presenter of the sports programme Fast Track, was thrilled by the response: "Ugandans clearly want Fast Track to discuss football: how to improve the standard of football in Uganda and East Africa as a whole, the influence of European football on Africa, and the conflicts created by supporting foreign teams over local teams.
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"While there is a feeling that football is too dominant and that this stifles the development of other sports, there is also a desire to encourage more female involvement in football.
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"In fact, the issue of women in sport was raised quite often - and by a large proportion of men. Another theme running through many of the responses was why Africans prefer European sports to African ones.
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"On the one hand, they like to watch international sport, in particular European football, and to follow African players abroad, but on the other hand they also want to see sport develop at a grassroots level.
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"Ugandans are also keen to discuss the need for more investment by the government into sports for young people. This survey gives us a wealth of topics for Fast Track!"
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Note to Editors
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Africa, Have Your Say, the hour-long interactive 91Èȱ¬ radio and online programme formerly known as Africa Live!, will now increase from one day a week to broadcast every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 16.00 GMT. Listeners can get in touch by telephone: +44 20 7 836 1 836; text: +44 77 86 20 20 08 and email: africa@bbc.co.uk.
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Fast Track is the African sports programme previously broadcast for half an hour. Listeners can now enjoy 60 minutes of unrivalled sports news and analysis from the continent and across the world on Mondays and Fridays at 16.00 GMT.
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Network Africa, which sets the day's agenda with a popular mix of news, sport, features and music, can now be heard every day. On a weekday listeners can hear the programme at: 03.30, 04.30, 05.30, 06.30 and 07.30 GMT and on Saturdays and Sundays at 04.00 and 06.00 GMT.
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