ABOUT CHEMS

RADIO

PRODUCTION SERVICES

VIDEO

OUTREACH / ADVOCACY

MATERNAL HEALTH PROJECT (MHP)

RADIO
Especially for you
Our Starting Point

Radio is considered the most accessible and effective media format in Cambodia, with the potential to reach more than 80 percent of the population. CHEMS is most famous for the live one-hour radio show, "Especially for You, Young People" broadcast five days per week through two major radio stations. The program is widely followed by urban and rural audiences across the country.

In a friendly, informal format the daily radio program presents health-related topics followed by discussion with listeners who wish to share experiences, ideas or questions, either by phone-in or by sending letters. On-air counselors answer their questions on sensitive social, physical and sexual issues. The 15 minute "Lotus on a Muddy Lake" soap opera depicts the interconnected lives of young people in rural and city setting, who face a range of social and health experiences and dilemmas.

The program is not only entertaining but also provides sensitive messages on reproductive health and social topics, otherwise considered taboo to discuss with parents and teachers. In addition, young people who have been trained in media skills produce mini-dramas, commentary pieces and songs which are included in the program. The radio show is monitored by youth focus groups that regularly provide feedback and suggestions

Supplementing the radio show is a twice monthly magazine column, published in a popular youth culture magazine, covering the latest health topics being broadcast.

On Air Schedule – Especially for You, Young People

PHNOM PENH
FM 95 MHz	11:30 AM - 12:30 PM , On Monday and Tuesday
FM 103 MHz	11:00 AM - 12:00 PM , On Wednesday,Thursday and Friday
BATTAMBANG Province
FM 91 MHz	11:00 AM - 12:00 PM , On Wednesday and Thursday

Especially for You, Young People

The one-hour "Especially for You, Young People" radio program includes phone-in from listeners regarding the day’s topics, and the popular soap opera; Lotus on Muddy Lake.

Phone-in

The phone-in enables listeners to call the radio station during the live broadcast to ask a question or discuss a personal problem related to their sexual or reproductive health with the program presenters. For more technical topics, a specialist counselor joins the program in order to give professional advice. The presenters tone is informal and supportive to audiences, especially young people. The presenters also answer letters that are posted into the program via CHEMS letter boxes which are located in fourteen provincial locations.

Listen to the phone in
Click here for English  transcript

"Lotus on Muddy Lake" Soap Opera

"Lotus on Muddy Lake" follows the challenges and successes that occur in the daily lives of remote and rural youth in Cambodia. One episode of the 15-minute radio soap opera "Lotus on a Muddy Lake" is played per show, incorporating messages about sexual reproductive health and other general social and health issues important to Cambodian youth. Through extensive, countrywide audience research, the writers shape key messages into creative story outlines to reflect the issues and concerns of young people today. Based in two fictional rural and remote settings, the soap opera caters to Cambodian's ardent love of a good story. The soap follows the fictional lives of a young woman, named Pisey, who moves to the city after discovering she is pregnant. Her boyfriend, Va, fled his rural home to find work in the city but ends up finding city life much more difficult than he expects. With over 700 episodes already aired, it is no wonder that listeners have become emotionally attached to the characters in the soap opera.

Listen to listen to an excerpt from the soap
Click here for English transcript

Youth Participation

As well as having a young production team that recognize and understand the sexual and social health issues facing their audience, CHEMS also trains rural youth in media skills – they then produce radio pieces related to real problems in their community. To date, the trained youth have produced hundreds of interviews, mini-dramas, vox pops, spots, songs and poems. Youth are also invited to appear as special guests on the program, to give rural youth an opportunity to voice their ideas. This gives Especially for You, Young People an up-to-the minute edge unmatched by any other youth radio program in Cambodia.

Battambang Radio

In 2005 CHEMS expanded with the opening of a regional office in Battambang, where a local version of Especially for You, Young People is produced. Youth presenters, NARET and DARA present a lively and entertaining program broadcast on Wednesday and Thursday at 11^h:00pm to 12^h:00 noon on radio station FM91, focusing on pertinent issues for Battambang youth. Lotus on Muddy Lake soap opera is also broadcast during the program.

Our Starting Point

Starting Point is a new radio program for CHEMS, beginning broadcast in September, 2008. It is CHEMS second call-in program and is tailored especially to women of reproductive age and their husbands. The program explores important maternal health issues for pregnant women, newly married couples and young families. Some topics covered are birth-spacing, modern contraceptive methods, ante-natal and post-natal care and dangerous traditional practices. Given the high maternal mortality rate in Cambodia, this is an important opportunity to get messages to rural female audiences.

Listen to a phone-in discussion Click here (MP3-934 KB)
Click here for English transcript Click here (PDF-120 KB)

Music Mission Soap Opera

The program also features the radio soap opera, Music Mission, which incorporates maternal health messages into an entertaining drama about a musical band and mobile health clinic that travels throughout Cambodia, led by an enigmatic band leader, a troubled famous pop star and a dedicated doctor. Together on their journey they meet a myriad of people who come to them with their health, personal and family problems. The soap opera is a mirror version of the television series, also called Music Mission, which will broadcast in Cambodia in mid 2009.

Listen to listen to an excerpt from the soap opera
Click here for English transcript

BROADCAST ON
FM 103 MHz	10:00 AM - 11:00 AM	Monday &Tuesday	PHNOM PENH
FM 98 MHz	10:00 AM - 11:00 AM	Wednesday& Thursday
REBROADCAST ON
FM 100.5 MHz	8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Monday &Tuesday	SIEM REAP PROVINCE
FM 98.5 MHz	9:00 AM - 10:00 AM	Monday & Tuesday	KRATIE PROVINCE
FM103.25 MHz	9:00 AM - 10:00 AM	Monday & Tuesday	BATTAMBANG PROVINCE
FM 99.70 MHz	10:00 AM - 11:00 AM	Monday & Tuesday	KAMPOT PROVINCE

Media Campaigns

CHEMS has produced annual media campaigns focusing on youth reproductive health rights, using radio and video spots, songs, karaoke and comic books. The media campaigns receive extensive coverage on domestic television and radio, with CDs, VCDs and DVDs freely distributed to people in city and rural areas.

Listen to a song from our third Media Campaign Click here (MP3-3.85 MB)
Listen to a radio spot Click here (MP3-1.29 MB)