Qfm Concludes Two Day Staff Retreat, Media Houses Urged to Embrace Digital Technology

Qfm Concludes Two Days Staff Retreat, Media Houses Urged to Embrace Digital Technology

By Ceasar Okello / Nancy Atim

Radio Qfm, a local Media Organization based in Lira City, Lango Sub Region has concluded a two-day Staff retreat in various places. The retreat was on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th December, 2023

The retreat proudly sponsored by Chief Executive Officer for Quality Radio 94.3 FM, Mr. Okello Kenneth was led by Ambrose Angura.

The Management of the Radio under the stewardship of Kenneth Okello initiated the retreat as one of the ways of bringing together over 40 Staff members.

According to Mr. Okello, the retreat was to allow radio qfm staff to have fun, get exposed, learn from new cultures and environment and rejuvenate their spirits, marketing.

Full of life, energy, happiness and joy, the staff started the journey ahead of the retreat in Kampala city, Entebbbe and Jinja City on Friday 29th December, 2023 at 2am from the radio premises. Among the places the smartly dressed crew visited and had fun were Acacia Mall in Kisementi - Kamwokya, the Constitutional Square and other important institutions within the city center, Entebbe International Airport and Uganda Wildlife Education Center - Entebbe, and the source of River Nile in Jinja city.

The retreat also had a training session on Profitability and Visibility conducted by Phillips Komakech, a facilitator from IPSOS Uganda.

 According to Komakech, content, context and connection is what keeps the media in Uganda awake, challenging that content is king in programming and this goes along with the target audience because investing in generating content resonates with the audience.

He also challenged radio QFM staff to embrace research to understand the kind of content or program in order to see its success.

 “Conduct qualitative research to understand what content or program would be appreciated and also use audience research data to understand your listenership patterns to help guide your rate card setting”, said Komakech.

Regarding marketing and collaboration, Komakech called on the radio sales team to create marketing activations and product sales that will attract advertisers and this he said can be through radio shows and live link promotion as well as conducting training sessions for all staff members to help them understand how to sell radio media aspects.

His way forward to radio QFM staff and management is to adapt to the evolving landscape in media, innovate on digital technologies and implement strategic initiatives that can enhance the growth and development of the media house and employees.

Speaking to radio QFM staff members, they shared their experience that they described as a beautiful climax to end the year 2023.

Ms. Robinah Joyce Ocaya, an announcement reader and News reporter says she was able to see the great and beautiful natural resources Uganda, the pearl of Africa.

“With the nature of our work as journalists, it is sometimes difficult to have time to adventure our country, So with this opportunity, I was able to see our fresh water bodies like River Nile, Lake Victoria and tour the beautiful Entebbe International Airport”, said Ocaya.

Ocaya also said she was impressed with the evening session conducted by IPSOS Management on how to increase more audience and keep them intact, how to interact with listeners, something she says will broaden her knowledge in scooping and keeping audiences coupled with informative, educative and entertaining content.

Joshua Ogole, news reporter/announcer also says the retreat motivated him in embracing development and enlightening him that development is a gradual aspect and any one can bring development in their community regardless of profession.

Meanwhile, Joseph Okul, anews anchor (Luo) and news reporter says the retreat was a good treat since it refreshed them and set them for the new year of work.

“Since it was the first time, I must confess it was a great adventure to bond with my fellow workmates in the different departments in a completely new environment."

According to Okul, the initiative is a good motivation tool that management should amend in their work plan to promote hard work and commitment among the employees. 

QFM online content manager, Moses Olet Emor is optimistic that the just concluded retreat will help mostly in building the radio’s visibility, creating market potentials for the radio and also ensure a healthy competition among other radio stations within the Lango sub region.

According to Olet Emor, the world is changing through technology thereby embracing online media that enables the radios to reach a wide audience no matter the location.

“Going online is the most affordable way of reaching out to advertisers who may not know the products Radio Qfm is selling and offering,” Olet Emor added.

 He also hopes that in the near future, radio Qfm will be on top of its game across Northern Uganda.

“Currently, I think Radio Qfm is the most listened to Radio in the Lango sub region following the introduction of the LakAlid Radio Game. This is an initiative the radio came up with as a way of giving back to the community. Through the LakAlid radio game, Qfm has given out cash prizes and three brand new motorcycles”, said Olet Emor.

The LakAlid radio game is blessing its audience with cash prizes of shillings 100,000, 200,000, 500,000, and 1,000,000 and motorcycles.

Walter Okello, Qfm production manager says his interesting and most educative session of the retreat was the training session on “Profitability and Visibility” held by an IPOS management personnel where he got to know the different skills and techniques in marketing, content creation, collaboration, incense of research, creating favorable accessibility.

“The training enlightened my knowledge on how to program, create content and the likes that suit every age group”, said Okello.

He additionally says he got to see and learn from other communities and societies on preserving, conserving and keeping their environment clean.

“When we went to Entebbe, I saw how clean their area code was. They do not litter anywhere and to me that is something that our people in the Lango sub region should emulate and this only begins with us in the media fraternity”, Okello added.

Deogracoius Opio alias The Brazzilian , Sports Parliament show presenter says the staff retreat in Kampala was a good one since it exposed them to a lot of things that a few of them had not gotten a chance to see before.

“The QFM staff retreat was a very good initiative because it exposed us to different things we had never seen before for example while at the Zoo, we saw the Black and White monkey and the source of the Nile that some of us just got to know about while learning in class from our teachers or even just reading the Geography books”, said Opio.

“While at the International Airport-Entebbe, we were privileged to physically see the large aeroplanes like the Emirates, The Saudi Arabian Airways and the likes and this has been made possible by the great support of radio QFM management”, he added.

Susan Atim Omach, an Administrator at QFM said the retreat helped to refresh the minds of the employees, and prepare them for yet another working year 2024.

“I believe that the retreat has helped each staff to align themselves ahead of another year of service and delivery”, said Atim.

The Human Resource Manager of Radio Qfm, Innocent Okilla said the retreat was something that management had planned for as a motivation tool.

“As the HR, we found it necessary to take staff for the retreat such that they can have their minds refreshed so that when they get back to work, they are able to recommit themselves to their job responsibilities”, said Okilla.

According to Okilla, upon concluding the staff two day retreat, staff tends to have a sense of belonging in the organization and also deliver quality results as expected.

Speaking to the chairperson, organizing committee of the retreat, Mr. Ambrose Angura who started his keynote speech by wishing everyone a new year believes that QFM radio is the biggest brand arguably in Northern Uganda.

“Qfm radio is currently the biggest brand in Northern Uganda and this is evident in the things we did in 2023 and I am excited, honored and humbled by our strides in 2023 as a great team. The journey has not been easy though but the resilience of the great team made it possible and this therefore called for a retreat one that is unforgettable”, said Angura.

According to Angura, the retreat was initiated as a way of thanking the staff for the milestone in 2023, to get them refreshed, rejuvenated, to know that they are valued, happy, appreciated and have memorable stories.

Angura says the retreat journey started from Lira via Karuma dam to the capital Kampala, Entebbe then finally Jinja city and came back to Lira City via the Eastern route.

“Along the retreat, you could see the joy on their faces after adventuring Kampala city’s important institutions, Uganda’s International Airport-Entebbe, The Uganda Wildlife Education Center where we were also privileged to glance at the Lango Totem which is the Amuka (Rhino), the New Nile bridge and finally the Source of the Nile in Jinja”, Angura added.

He concluded by thanking management of radio Qfm in supporting and seeing the staff retreat, an achievement since this will enable them to start the New Year, 2024 in high spirits.

Qfm's programs manager Mr Odyero Geoffrey said the IPSOS training facilitated his knowledge which he says he is going to be a tool in enhancing programming, gather and maintaining the radio audience. 

"The training facilitated my knowledge base and I strongly believe that we can achieve more once we incorporated this in our programming", said Odyero.

Oscar Odic aka Akwar Atat who airs The Evening Flight on Qfm says the retreat enabled him to see different species of animals that he had never seen before.

"I can equally entertain my audience and also educate and inform them about the beauty Uganda has", Odic added.