Case Study 1. Albania - Rruga MePisha

This is the first and presently the only radio soap in a country with almost 100% radio ownership among the target audience. Each episode is 15 minutes long and deals with life in a fictional suburb of Tirana. Two episodes are broadcast twice a week each, with a 30-minute combined episode once a week.

This soap is interesting because its characters are all 'morally inconsistent', much like the listeners. The producers feel that the audience would see through any attempt at role modeling. A lesson was learned from a soap in Russia, where ratings soared when characters became more complex (Williams, 2001). For example, there is a schoolteacher who stands for election as a local counselor, yet, at the same time is shown to have racist attitudes.

Several storylines are sponsored by locally based organizations such as UNICEF (domestic violence) and International Medical Corps (hepatitis A), who also help with expert advice. AIDS has been approached in storylines about first teenage sexual experiences, irresponsibility about condom-use and the need to seek medical help for STDs. These stories and their characters were formed as a direct result of focus groups with young people from rural and urban areas. 'We're trying to show the way, but not be unrealistically 'goody goody' (Williams, personal communication, 2001).

Management: The project was started by the BBC World Service Trust, but is now run by the Rruga MePisha (RMP) Foundation, which was set up by the BBC as an independent Albanian NGO after the first year of operations. One quarter of the budget was spent on expatriate salaries in the first 18 months; now the soap functions virtually without expatriate input. The smooth and early handover was due in part to a good local fundraising base, making financial independence possible. Another factor was the relatively high levels of education and skills among the Albanian staff. The Foundation's Albanian Director reports to an international Board of Trustees, which meets quarterly and is guided by a Statement of Values.

Staffing: The RMP Foundation employs about 50 Albanians in Tirana, including 6 full-time management team staff, 4 work-study students, 6 part-time writers, 2 part-time studio directors, 8 main and 20 subsidiary part-time actors, and 5 part-time audio technicians. The main actress is famous and respected, and all staff members are highly motivated and committed. A part-time consultant from BBC London travels to Albania regularly for script consultations and training.

Writing and Production Process: The greatest problem for the project has been a lack of talented and trained writers, largely due to the mass 'brain drain' to the West following the fall of Hoxha and the pyramid selling scandal of 1997. Writing is by team, but coordinated by one script editor, a talented and well-known Albanian stage and TV playwright. The team arrangement encourages healthy competition among writers, thereby ensuring freshness and creativity. Each scriptwriting meeting provides on-the-job training for the writers, few of whom had any training before Rruga MePisha started.

Storylines are planned six months in advance, with monthly script meetings supported by the British consultant. Meanwhile real-life research is ongoing, as dictated by demands of the script. For example, when a recent storyline required details about burial traditions, a staff-member drove around the country talking to relevant people. Scripts are written one month ahead of actual recording, so there is usually a month's worth of programmes ready for distribution to the broadcasters.

Formative Research: Focus group research was carried out in the summer of 1999 by Albanian researchers. A feasibility study was done by BBC technicians and a manager. The British consultant trained writers in formative research techniques to use with the potential audience about character definition, setting and storylines.

Monitoring and Audience Feedback: In the second year, an Albanian independent market research firm carried out an audience survey, with oversight by the BBC marketing department in London. This survey was both qualitative and quantitative. Other research is done on an ongoing basis, usually by student staff-members who feed their findings back to the writing team. Letters are also systematically monitored for audience feedback.

Supporting Activities:Rruga MePisha occasionally organizes road shows on topics covered by the soap, such as children in blood feuds. This is an opportunity for listeners all around the country to meet the stars of the show, give their feedback and to talk about their problems. Badges and pens with the Rruga MePisha logo are given out at these events.

Radio Tirana started a new radio discussion program about governance and social issues as an accompaniment to Rruga MePisha. Listeners can phone in and get practical advice, such as telephone numbers of women's shelters. This was entirely initiated, organized and paid for by Radio Tirana. It is a strong indicator of the soap's popularity and relevance.

The script editor has written a series of five half-hour television episodes, which works as a dramatic 'prequel' to Rruga MePisha and features five of the main female characters.

Sustainability:Rruga MePisha may go on forever, rather like The Archers, in the UK. However, it will have to transfer completely from donor to commercial support in order to survive. This is possible, assuming the expansion of the Albanian economy. However, it may be that Rruga MePisha's audience numbers will diminish as the whole Albanian media scene expands and there is more competition. Sponsors may withdraw if they see audience figures going down - in which case the project would be a victim of its own success. Another potential danger is that the project could fall prey to the traditional rivalries, feuds and clan mentalities, which are very common in Albania. At present, the Albanian Rruga MePisha Foundation finds all its own funds locally, but many of these are from local branches of international agencies such as UNICEF.