Overview
Radiophone was a groundbreaking initiative that brought Sesame Street content to children in remote, low-resource regions of India through community radio and a radio-over-telephone system. As Content & Education Manager, I led the educational and creative adaptation of Sesame Street's visual format into an engaging audio-only experience designed for communities with little or no access to television.
My Role
I directed the educational content design, script development, and curriculum integration across literacy, health, and social–emotional development. Working with writers, producers, and local radio teams, I transformed Sesame Street's character-driven storytelling into a compelling audio format that used sound design, descriptive narration, and playful language to create immersive learning experiences.
Why It Was Innovative
Radiophone reimagined Sesame Street for India's most underserved communities by pairing:
- Community radio broadcasts, and
- A toll-free "radio over phone" system, allowing families to call in and listen anywhere.
This was one of India's earliest large-scale uses of mobile phones to deliver educational media.
Impact
The program reached 1.2 million people, including 200,000 children, across 10 community radio stations.
Independent evaluation showed:
- Significant gains in 5 out of 6 learning outcomes (literacy, language, health, social-emotional skills, environmental awareness)
- 2× improvement in key skills for children exposed to Radiophone content
- Real-world behavioural change: improved hygiene, higher school attendance, parents seeking vaccinations, and community-led initiatives like waste-management drives and women's rights gatherings
The show aired for 2.5 years, and additional community radio stations requested to adopt the model-evidence of its cultural resonance and sustained value.