The SAT Chat Show

Special

Issues of rickshaw drivers – discussion with authorities, banks and CNG engine providers.

• Rickshawala Drivers: Jamnashanker Menariya (driver, CHETNA), Dharmendra Brahmbatt (driver, Ahmedabad School), Bhagvandas R.B. (driver, Ahmedabad School), Govinbhai (driver, Ahmedabad School), J.M Sardar (driver, Ahmedabad School)
• Authorities & Experts: D.G. Gohil (Traffic Police Inspector), A.S. Patel (Senior Manager, Bank of Baroda)
• Civil Society

Sat Katha (Truth Tales)

Savita Amin

From a small village in Gujarat, made fatherless as a baby, Sanita grew up in Mumbai, married & divorced & remarried the legendary entrepreneur Nanubhai Amin. Starting with school for her own toddlers she presides over many progressive educational institutions in Vadodora, including Navrachna School.

Director: Daxin Bajrange-Chhara
Cameraperson: Hemang Pathak
Editor: Nishit Jadawala
Cast: Khushali Vakani (Savitaben Amin), Ajitsinh Vaghela (Nanubhai, Husband), Kamini Panchal (Sister)

Tankshal

Aditi Desai in conversation with Rimaben Nanavati (Director, Self Employed Women’s Association, expert in deforestation, market, banking, women’s employment and the Agariya community)

Special: Lakshmiben Dabhi took money from the SEWA bank to start vending vegetables. Today the husband and wife are both involved in this activity earning close to seven thousand rupees in a month.

SAT PRABHAT

Good news story on Milan Nag who runs free medical camps; celebrity morning with choreographer Hemant Kotekar; helpline on gynecology problems; power breakfast with Chef Khanna; heritage story on Sardar Patel Memorial; tip of the day – shut your taps right; word for the day ADAVU (lap)

The SAT Chat Show

Domestic Violence

India, like most countries, doesn’t like talking of the number of families where violence occurs. What is the way out for the victim? Do the police help or hinder?

• Police: Mrs. M.T. Kadvi (Police Inspector), Mrs. M.S. Patel (Police Sub-Inspector)
• NGOs & Experts: Dr. M.C. Patel, Dr. Prashant Bhimani (Psychologist)
• Civil Society

Sat Katha (Truth Tales)

Ratanben Ratadiya

Ratanben, an educationist was the first Bharvad (cow herding community) girl to be educated, go to college and set a precedent. With a Gandhian education, she has set up many educational institutions for the underprivileged.

Director: Daxin Bajrange-Chhara
Cameraperson: Yogesh Patel
Editor: Manan Gajjar
Cast: Tulsi Bhatt (Ratanben), Harish Daghiya (Father), Vibhakar Mehta (Husband), Hardika Chhara (Junior Ratanben)

Tankshal

Aditi Desai in conversation with Dineshbhai Parmar (Director, Behavioral Science Centre, expert in human rights for backward class people)

Water: The Water and Sanitation Management Organization and NGO SWATI joined with villager from Bharad village in Surendranagar to build check dams, wells and sumps to solve water issues.

Self Help Group: The Ambica SHG, in village Markoda, helps its members start their own businesses or take care of household emergencies by offering inexpensive loans.

Self Help Group: Gayatri SHG has trained its members to produce incense sticks. With earnings they rotate the money amongst members at low interest rates.

SAT PRABHAT

Good news story on a 7 year old doctor, Akrit Pran Jaswal, who treats patients; heritage story on Rani Roopmati’s Mazjid; tip of the day – say you are sorry to someone you have behaved badly with; vox pop on whether children’s internet access should be monitored; fighting superstition – why should nails not be cut at night? Helpline on colour scheme for a dark complexion; word for the day NARVU (to be healthy)

The SAT Chat Show

Water Pollution

With the number of cases of water borne diseases increasing in the early months of the monsoon, what are the responsibilities of the municipality, NGOs and civil society?

• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Officials & Gujarat Pollution Control Board: Dr. G.T. Makwaana (Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation official), Mr. Randhava (Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation)
• NGOs & Experts: Dr. Prakash V. Shah (eye specialist), Vipin Makwana (social worker with Paryavaran Mitra)
• Civil Society

Ek Moti Ekalvayu

Muliya (Roots)

A village girl tries to understand the value of independent life in a city. This is the story of her struggle to free herself from the bondage of society and dependent life in a small village.

Director: Nisarg Trivedi
Cameraperson: M. Roopesh
Editor: Nilang Jariwala
Cast: Heli Thakker, Hement Mistry, Neha Pandya, Kinnal

Tankshal

Aditi Desai in conversation with Nishaben Shah (Director, Kheti Sanchalak Swashray Mahila Seva Sangh, expert in agriculture and forestry)

Success Story: Bhartiben Koshti runs a children’s trust and works with the Government Childcare Program.

Water: The DeSouza family in Valsad in South Gujarat harvests all their rainwater to make their family and farm self-sufficient.

Self Help Group: Hadaks Savings Group in Banaskatha ran successfully for two years.

The SAT Chat Show

Air Pollution

Cases of bronchitis, allergies, eye irritations etc have increased phenomenally over the last few years. Vehicle pollution is unchecked and the Pollution Under Control certificate is a joke. Who is at fault? How can we solve the problem?

• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Officials & Gujarat Pollution Control Board: S.D. Dave (Health Officer Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation)
• NGOs & Experts: Ummiya Patel (Science Communicator, Nisarg Community Science Center), Hiren Patel (Communication in Science)
• Civil Society

Ek Moti Ekalvayu

Rang Barse (Shower of Color) Part II

A woman teacher encourages her teenage student to pursue her dreams of becoming an artist. This is the story of the student’s perseverance to follow her own dreams against the wishes of her father, with the constant help of her teacher and the silent support of her mother. A tale of a woman who has different goals in life

Directors: Mallika Sarabhai & Yadavan Chandran
Cameraperson: M. Roopesh & Yadavan Chandran
Editor: Yadavan Chandran
Cast: Arni Sethi, Avni Sethi,Charmy Modi

Tankshal

Aditi Desai in conversation with Digant Oza (Founder, Satyajit Trust, expert on water issues and concerns)

Economic Empowerment: A government scheme created by the District Rural Development Agency provides loans for animal husbandry to create self-employment amongst rural women who are all members of self help groups.

Water: Borianch village working with an NGO called BIAF solved their perennial water problem by sinking rechargeable wells fitted with pumps.

Success Story: The Jai Bhavani self help group has trained itself in embroidery and knitting and sells its wares in the village and at fairs. Each woman earns two to three thousand rupees a month and manages to save regularly

SAT PRABHAT

Good news story on how “low caste” women deprived of drinking water facilities in Barmer took things into their own hands to solve the problem; a special morning with Babu the sweeper; breaking a superstition – why we don’t give salt hand to hand; vox pop on college admissions and the policy for reservation for minorities and backward castes; helpline on clothes allergies; word of the day - ALUNO ( salt-less); tip of the day – don’t blow your nose with your hands as it spreads bacteria

The SAT Chat Show

Mobile Phones and Youth

What is the right age for owning a mobile phone? Who is to deal with pornography and MMS messages, and the growing alienation of youth because of being glued to mobiles?

• Students: Nilofer S. Shaikh, Melvin Jeorge
• NGOs & Experts: Mrs. Pavar (Teacher, D.P.S. School), V.C. Joshi
• Civil Society & Parents

Ek Moti Ekalvayu

Rang Barse (Shower of Color) Part I

A woman teacher encourages her teenage student to pursue her dreams of becoming an artist. This is the story of the student’s perseverance to follow her own dreams against the wishes of her father, with the constant help of her teacher and the silent support of her mother. A tale of a woman who has different goals in life

Directors: Mallika Sarabhai & Yadavan Chandran
Cameraperson: M. Roopesh & Yadavan Chandran
Editor: Yadavan Chandran
Cast: Arni Sethi, Avni Sethi,Charmy Modi

Tankshal

Aditi Desai in conversation with Mr. Vijaykumar Kaushal (Program Coordinator, VIKSAT, expert in natural resource management, livelihood and forestry within Gujarat)

Economic Empowerment: A government scheme created by the District Rural Development Agency with the help of other NGOs for rural women to help them become self-reliant by training them in frame embroidery work and helping them to acquire marketing skills.

Water: Khara Ghoda village had water related problems. Under a scheme by the Water and Sanitation Management Organization, the District Rural Development Agency working with SWATI, an NGO, in Dhargadhara Taluka, motivated villagers to start a water committee. Each family contributed Rs 200 to an overall scheme, totalling Rs. 1,95,000 that contributed to the Rs. 37 lakh project, and are now in control of and responsible for their own water supply.

Self Help Group: The self help group, Mira, has been trained to produce metal inlay work to augment their incomes as well as develop products and capacity by the District Rural Development Agency. Mira has been awarded Rs. 2.5 lakhs for the same.

SAT PRABHAT

Good news story on volunteers learning Braille to help the blind; a story on a welder who teaches the poor outside his welding shop; helpline question on how to bring up children without a gender bias; vox pop of youth on the need for tuitions outside school; heritage story on Sarkhej Roza; word of the day: THUNGO (snacks); Tip of the day – save electricity

About the Programmes.

SAT Prabhat (Daily @ 8:30 am): A magazine format breakfast show with snippets to inspire and to set you off on a good positive start. It also gives daily tips on how we can make a difference to our immediate world and thus the world at large.

Tankshal (Daily @ 9:30 am): A programme aimed at economic empowerment of the poor, especially women. It brings together case studies with a chat with NGO personnel working in relevant fields in various parts of the state. Each episode highlights three stories, either about water, the Right to Information Act, self help groups, economic empowerment of the poor, health, or a success story

Sat Katha (Saturday & Sunday @ noon): True stories of the strength and perseverance of real life women.

Ek Moti Ekalvayu (Monday thru Friday @ 3 pm): A fictional series revolving around women's issues and how they affect those involved.

SAT Chat Show (Daily @ 8:30 pm): A chat show to debate pertinent issues in today’s India. Three panels including experts and NGOs, besides members of civil society, debate the topics.

WHAT WE DO.

SAT is in the process of creating new programming and producing a mini band of programmes on DD Gujarati for one year, with the aim of becoming the pilot project for other Doordarshan Kendras. The programmes cover issues ranging from human rights to education to health care to citizen’s rights to issues of violence, coexistence, celebrating diversity, literacy, employment generation, basic values, the processes of democracy, the environment, panchayat raj, gender equity and more.

Specifically, there are four broad subject areas which have been identified in consonance with the central Government’s thrust areas and by NGOs working at the grassroots in Gujarat. These are:

• Women’s empowerment: These include issues of health, livelihood, government programmes aimed at them, legal rights, dowry related issues, female foeticide, new government initiatives to empower them and more.

• Children and adolescent issues: Literacy and education, child labour, health, sexuality, career guidance, environment activism and more.

• Health: Reducing maternal mortality, anemia, encouraging breast feeding, HIV, immunization, menopause, sexuality related issues, water borne diseases, nutrition and more.

• Water: This includes the health and environmental aspects of this crucial issue for Gujarat including the need to drink clean water and the means to do it, the need for hand washing, community water management issues, need to harvest water and more.

The programming is being created by a team with a background in entertainment and a commitment to development. The project will succeed or fail on the quality and viewer friendliness of the programming and on the truth in them.

The programming targets primarily semi urban and urban audiences, and people living in city slums and lower middle class neighbourhoods. Whenever the time slots available allow for reaching rural audiences, rural issues are highlighted. The main aim is to make people proactive partners in the path to improve and empower their own lives so that they take responsibility for change while accessing financial and other help available to them.

The Partners

• The Planning Commission, Government of India, for funding
• Doordarshan as the carrier
• Dr Mallika Sarabhai and her team as the implementing agency

Program formats (genres)

1. Soap operas / dramas incorporating messages on given themes – like need for education, health, gender sensitization, parenting, sex education, need for literacy and in fact all aspects of development.
2. Sitcoms with episodes addressing different issues – like celebrating diversity, gender equity, violence within families, the use of punishment for children etc
3. Quiz shows / game shows to ‘educate and entertain’ the viewers on subjects like environment, employment,
4. Telefilms for in depth look at issues
5. Talk shows / panel discussions

Impact measurement

A monitoring procedure for the programmes is being set up to evaluate the TV programmes on an ongoing basis and track the changes they are able to bring about in the viewers attitudes / opinions and more importantly, behaviour. Thus programmes will be evaluated on the following parameters,

1. Viewership of the entire programme – how frequently is it watched

2. Extent of liking the entire programme – its format, presentation, variety in content

3. Evaluation of the contents of each programme, the issues it seeks to address

4. Communication of message – what is the message being communicated to the viewers. Is the message actually being communicated the same as what the programme developers are seeking to communicate

5. Are the issues raised and the way they are addressed / solutions they provide in synch with the opinions and beliefs of the target audience

6. The ‘impact’ of the TV programme on the viewers, particularly target audience – attempt to measure the change in attitude / opinion that the program may have been able to effect and the resultant change in behaviour

Some of the impacts that can be measured in a relatively short time have been identified as :

1. How many people washed their hands after defecating or before eating, and how many after specific programming?

2. If measures of making drinking water safe are being talked about, what is the increase in people doing this in the sample?

3. How many people in the target sample audience knew about safety measures for infants and mothers before and after programming? How many have implemented these?

4. What information did lactating mothers have about breast feeding before the programme? What is their understanding and practice after the programming?

5. How many people are aware of the necessity of using iodized salt? How many more have this awareness after the programmes? How many have changed over to it?

6. How many girls and women are aware of anemia and the need to take iron once they start menstruating? How many start taking iron after the programmes?

7. What is the level of information on prevention of HIV before and after the programming?

8. How many people call our help line after inspirational and successful stories on community water management have been shown?

9. How many phone calls/letters does the helpline receive after information on government grants and schemes have been given?

Benchmark surveys will ascertain the current level of information or current behaviour in sample audiences. These surveys will be done with our partner NGOs who will also help in keeping track of programme viewing. Follow up surveys will be done after four and eight months. In some cases, as in the Valsad area where our collaborator UNICEF does extensive grass root work, there already exist benchmarks on some of these parameters, and these, being recent can be taken as starting measures.

The Outcomes

If the greatest impediment to development is an entrenched mindset, then it is to tackle this that this approach to development communication is being suggested. By measuring attitudes and levels of information that lead to different behaviour and choices, and by periodic assessments of the same as the programmes are aired, the actual outcomes can be measured.

In some fields of development, attitude change is reflected directly in behaviour change – as observed (and stated) earlier in other countries. For instance if a campaign on the necessity of immunization for children is successful, the number of children being immunized should change before and after the campaign. If a campaign to segregate and reuse garbage is successful, the locality or village will be cleaner and neater, and some amount of recycling will be visible.

In previous work on infant and maternal mortality issues conducted by the Darpana team with UNICEF in Gujarat, the percentage of children being immunized went up to 90% from a mere 50% by the end of the year long project. Messages on maternal nutrition had an 80% recall one year after our intervention. Similar measures will be put into place. Different measuring mechanisms will be worked out.

Long Term Repercussions

Popular TV programming dedicated to specific development communication targets, which is fun and participative has never been attempted with serious commitment in India (or anywhere else that we can find). Because the team running the project is close to the ground, and is made of creative software makers who can react to the findings of the repeated surveys with practically no lead time, the programming will be adaptable..

A three year pilot project of this innovative nature, if even marginally more effective than current means of development communications, can lead to path breaking acceleration in empowering people nation-wide. What the programming will attempt is to put into place a mechanism that has the agility to engineer effective and enduring change with all the stakeholders as partners.

OUR BACKGROUND.

Vikram Sarabhai was instrumental in bringing television to India and launching what even today, nearly four decades later, is a bench-mark pilot project in TV’s use as a means for rapid and personalized development communication and education. Krishi Darshan and the Pij experiment should have set the tone for edutaining and empowering television for India. It didn’t. The lessons were there but were not learnt. The tedious, dull, well meaning but non-endearing programming that Doordarshan churned out (and to a large extent continues to churn out) dealt a death blow to the concept of television as an unparalleled channel for change. The boom in satellite television stations made those ideas even more distant. Today, while there are news channels that bring some accountability to public life by their sting operations, there is still no people’s channel which focuses on key issues of empowerment and on giving voice to the voiceless as an essential ingredient for a vibrant democracy.

In the past, Darpana Communications and the Darpana Academy for Performing Arts have been involved in the following projects:

The TARA Experiment 2000 – 2002

In early 2000 a group of individuals and institutions, lead by the ex CEO of STAR, Ratikant Basu, floated a bouquet of four language channels to become entertaining activist channels.

Dr. Mallika Sarabhai, with over two decades of experience in performance, TV and development, became the CEO of the Gujarati channel. Dr Sarabhai came in as the CEO after the business plan was in place. This was a two year zero revenue plan when the channel, riding the dot com swell, would have an IPO. The dot com bust, unfortunately, coincided with the planned IPO and the channel closed.

However the actual inroads made by the Gujarati channel were noteworthy.

· In 18 months of programming the channel brought the opinions of 1.8 lakh people to the public. None of them had ever been publicly asked for an opinion on issues that concerned and impacted them.

· In the Ahmedabad city municipal poll, TARA offered an equal platform to the contenders of each seat, from every party in a programme called Kaun Ketla Panima. Typically, good orators from each party are sent to address public meetings and it is their speaking ability that brings in the votes. Here, for the first time, voters assessed actual candidates from each party, juxtaposed with each other, for their worth and commitment. For perhaps the first time their votes were based on informed choice.

· Satyam Eva Jayate was the forerunner of programmes like We The People. Elected politicians were put on the mat by the anchor and a studio audience of people from his/her constituency. In addition another 15 people from the constituency sent in filmed questions which were also answered.

· After just three months on air, an IMRB survey on peoples’ perceptions of Gujarati channels showed TARA to be the most believable and bold.

· The channel’s investigative stories on environmental issues and on the management of public institutions like hospitals were powerful enough to bring about change in their functioning..

· An investigative story on prohibition and the nexus between bootleggers, politicians and the police, led to a major upheaval in the prohibition policy in Gujarat. Another story led to the break up of an employment agency which operated a prostitution business.

· Lakhs of people whose opinions had never been sought on issues of governance, who felt that no-one was interested in their opinions, were empowered to start thinking of governance and taking ownership of decisions that affected their lives. They started forming self help groups, the progress of which was also charted on the channel.

· Every conceivable genre of television was used – fiction, soaps, music videos, chat shows, quizzes, interviews and game shows, always with development and empowerment as the focus but always entertaining enough to hold a viewer.

Even today, nearly 3 years after it shut down, there is a constant demand for it, or a similar channel to be restarted. Many people feel that had the channel been on during the communal carnage, sense would have prevailed quicker.

AAPNI BAPOR 2003-2005

· Going forward from the learning of the channel and the programming, Darpana Communications, a department in Dr. Sarabhai’s Darpana Academy, took on a project to produce an hour of programming, five days a week, on DD 11 (Gujarati) focused on empowering women.

· The programmes ( list attached) included women and girls of all ages, used all genres of TV, and talked of issues encompassing all aspects of a woman’s life – health, laws, rights, sexuality, adolescence, violence, information, education, interpersonal issues, careers, banking, savings, local governance, environment and more.

· Today these widely viewed programmes are being used by NGOs and government departments to train and motivate, educate and inspire. The department has by now produced over 800 hours of women’s programming.

VAIVIDHYOTSAV 2002-2003

In the aftermath of the Gujarat carnage, Darpana produced and broadcast on DD 11, 300 hours of programming dealing with issues of communal harmony. Once again the genres used were varied and the subjects tackled many. The highlight was a new understanding of India’s multiplicity of culture.

From Mexico to India, using development TV for social education.

Latin America’s soap operas (telenovelas) have long captivated TV audiences with their overwrought stories of love and betrayal, sin and punishment, and triumph over adversity. But for public health advocates, they also are an ideal medium for transmitting positive messages about healthier living. The soap opera has evolved as "an interesting tool for evoking the curiosity of people, stimulating them to look for further information which could lead to positive social acceptability of the subject(s)”.

The protagonists are all fictional characters, their stories, however, mirror the lives of real men and women and thus provide a powerful medium for transmitting positive messages on important issues of public health. At first, the messages were basic, almost intuitive, such as "smoking is bad" or "you need an education to make something of yourself." Over time they have evolved toward deeper social themes, providing a subtle but effective guide for public opinion on sometimes controversial matters of public health while promoting a healthier and more ethical society.

The power of fiction:

• An early indication of soap operas / programs' enormous potential came in 1986, when a character on Venezuela’s Crystal was diagnosed with breast cancer. The episode led to an avalanche of female patients getting check-ups in Venezuela and in Spain, where the series also aired.

• Observing these successes, Miguel Sabido, former vice president of the Mexican network Televisa and a pioneer in "edutainment," produced a series of seven programs between 1975 and 1978, called "soap operas / programs for development," that combined education and entertainment - one, promoted sexual responsibility among adolescents, another promoted the notion of gender equality in Mexican society and a third encouraged adult education.

• The Mexican experience was adapted for use first by Population Communications International (PCI) and later by the Population Media Center (PMC), - organizations that work at the global level to promote education in family planning, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive health and gender equity.

• PMC has used "soap operas / programs for development" in India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan and Swaziland. During preproduction, experts analyze the cultural norms of each country and then adapt the stories to local cultures, increasing the messages’ chances for success.

• In 1994, Colombia’s Ministry of Health coproduced a soap opera / program about social and health issues aimed at a female audience.

• Last year, officials from Brazil's Ministry of Health acknowledged that the theme of drug addiction in TV.

• Brazil's TV Globo network has been incorporating social themes into its soap operas / programs since 1990. According to the most recent edition of its annual report Social Marketing: Entertainment Serving Social Good, in 2002 more than a thousand episodes of soap operas / programs included social themes, ranging from condom use and organ donation to caring for the environment. Globo's El Clon (The Clone) in 2001 had done more for the prevention and treatment of drug dependency than many government campaigns.

• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) helped Suriname import the South African soap Soul City, whose plots cover such issues as AIDS, teenage pregnancy and drug addiction.

• In Kenya, a 1987 television series that promoted family planning "became the most popular TV show in the country’s history."

• Responding to such success, producers, writers and public health advocates have been working together to reinforce health themes through week-long public awareness campaigns aired in conjunction with the soap operas / programs.
  

Measurement of impact:

Just as ratings confirm the success of soap operas / programs story lines, the impact of social messages in soap operas / programs can be demonstrated quantitatively.

• To demonstrate soap operas / programs ’ potential for promoting social change, TV Globo producers carried out a study in which they tracked changes in health services during the airing of Lazos de Sangre (Blood Ties), whose protagonist, Camila, was diagnosed with leukemia. The study, titled "The Camila Effect," found that in November 2000, during the show’s early episodes, Brazil’s National Registry of Bone Marrow Donors reported an average of 20 new registrations per month.

• One study, headed by PMC president Ryerson and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, looked at Humraahi (Come Along With Me), an Indian soap opera that aired in 1992. The study found that people who watched the show regularly changed their attitudes about the ideal marrying age and the acceptability of women in the work force, two central themes of the story.

• In Kenya in 1987, the soap operas / programs Tushauriane (Let’s Talk About It) and the radio program Ushikwapo Shikamana (If Assisted, Assist Yourself) were aired with the aim of getting men to be more open minded about their wives’ practicing family planning. They became two of the most popular shows on Voice of Kenya. By their conclusions, contraceptive use had increased some 58 percent in the country, and the average family size considered as ideal among Kenyans had declined from six children to four.

• In addition, a study of rural health centres by the University of Nairobi’s School of Journalism found that women were more likely to seek birth control after hearing and seeing the programs.