Central Region Leads In TV Viewership, Nyanza Tops In Radio Consumption, Report Shows

Central region of Kenya is leading in television viewership, while Nyanza region tops the charts in radio consumption according Communication Authority’s Report.

The study, conducted between April and June 2024, reveals significant regional variations in media preferences.

The report shows that Nairobi and Upper Eastern regions follow Central in TV viewership.

“These geographic differences in TV consumption highlight the need for customized media strategies tailored to specific regions,” the report reads.

The study also finds that men are more inclined to watch TV compared to women.

Further, there is a notable decrease in TV viewership among 15- to 17-year-olds, which the report attributes to a lack of content targeted specifically at teenagers, potentially discouraging them from watching TV.

Kenya currently has 360 TV stations.

CA report reveals that the radio broadcasting sector is thriving with 293 FM radio stations.

The report indicates that South Nyanza, Upper Eastern, Western, and Lake regions have the highest radio listenership, all around 85-86%.

North Eastern has the lowest radio listening rate.

Swahili remains the most popular language among radio stations, followed by vernacular languages. This trend is consistent across both male and female listeners.

Mobile phones account for about one-third of radio listenership, although traditional radio sets remain the primary means of listening.

Television is mostly watched on TV sets, while social media is predominantly accessed via mobile phones and continues to play a significant role in media consumption.

The report also reveals that more than 76% of respondents identified watching TV and listening to the radio as their most popular activities over the past week.

While internet usage remains stable, there has been a modest increase in radio and television consumption.

Conversely, magazine and newspaper reading have seen a slight decline during this period.

Nairobi leads in internet usage with 80% of residents using the internet.

The Central region shows a high television consumption rate at 86%. Additionally, there is a notable 6% increase in newspaper reading in South Nyanza.