Supporting Radio Algeria's Transition to Public Service Broadcasting

"[This] research present[s] findings from the first year of supporting Radio Algeria's transition to Public Service Broadcasting."

From BBC Media Action, this research report stems from a project of post-Arab Spring (2011) support for Radio Algeria in its transition to full public service broadcasting. BBC Media Action spent 11 months conducting a targeted training and development programme to support Radio Algeria in initiating the transition process after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika pledged to open up the broadcasting market to private operators as part of a reform programme.

The training aimed to provide programming relevant to Algerian radio audiences and "to build... skills, structures and systems. The project provided a range of training, development and mentoring activities delivered by international trainers who used a range of techniques including individual on-the-job support, small group work, large group consultations, online learning, and developing in-house training capacity. Activities were [focused for] managers, editors and journalists from all stations within Radio Algeria and focused on creating momentum for and engagement in change a cross the organisation."

Researchers used a mixed methodology combined with evaluation including: "trainee feedback forms (a total of 212 forms, collected throughout the project), trainer reports (a total of 29 narrative and 19 additional research reports), in-depth interviews (with nine attendees at the project’s closing conference in March 2013) and a survey (a total of 54 questionnaires completed at the closing conference in March 2013)." The research found that a foundation for change was developed and showed that "there [was] a commitment to continued progress towards a full transition to public service broadcasting."

In more detail:

• Media practitioners in Algeria had an understanding of what is required of a public service broadcaster and felt that the indicative standards, such as a diversity of programmes, diversity of subjects discussed, and diversity of audiences, were met. (See page 2 for a chart of questionnaire results.)
• At this early stage, "practitioners identified that the independence of Algerian radio is not yet of a public service broadcasting standard. When asked about the major challenges facing public service broadcasting in Algeria, practitioners most commonly mentioned difficulties relating to limitations of skills, knowledge and resources within the organisation."
• "The research found a commitment to change at all levels...As with any transition though, there was some frustration expressed at the length of time that it is taking to make changes...."
• From the BBC Media Action training course feedback:
• Immediately after training, "the majority of respondents reported that they would implement the new skills that they had learned following the training, including expertise in editing news, structuring interview questions, and preparing reports."
• Media practitioners acknowledged the limitations of the impact of training only certain parts of teams for increased capacity: "...[T]here is opposition or resistance to the implementation".

Implications included acknowledgement of the commitment to progress and indications of need for future progress to assure continued tangible and measurable outcomes for public service broadcasting in Algeria.