SECTOR 2

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:

2.1 (2005 = 1.7, 2007 = 1.5, 2009 = 2.5)

2.11 The advertisement market is large enough to support a diversity of media outlets.
At KSh 66 billion (about US$825 million), the yearly estimate advertising spend
in Kenya is considered large. The bulk of it, KSh32 billion (about US$400
million) goes into radio advertising, according to polling and research company
Synovate. Newspapers get a smaller KSh9 billion (about US$112,500,000) while
the television scoops KSh25 billion (US$312,500,000). But this large advertising
spend does not support the diversity of media outlets.
This large amount of advertising spend does not seem to be evenly distributed,
as most of it is confined to the larger and more established media organisations.
Some of the media owners also have shares in major advertising companies and
tend to direct adverts to their media products.
The majority of Kenya’s media houses and more specifically the smaller media
outlets have to fight hard to justify their need for some of this advertising. Most
of these outlets are unable to pay for expensive scientific studies to back their
circulation and readership claims.
Advertisers also use adverts to try to control the media.
The Standard lost all Kenya Airways advertising as well as subscriptions for their
flights when they reported the Douala plane crash of one of their planes.

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER KENYA 2012

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