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The latest Kenya Audience Tracker (IKAT) Report for the fourth quarter of 2024 has revealed insightful trends in radio listenership across the country.
The report, compiled through extensive data analysis, highlights key demographic patterns, regional preferences, and the leading radio stations in Kenya.
Radio Listenership Trends
Citizen Radio leads the pack with the highest audience share at 20.8%, followed by Kameme FM at 7.5%, Radio Jambo at 7.2%, Ramogi FM at 6.7% and Radio 47, which is celebrating is 2nd anniversary with an ultra-modern studio, closes the top 5.8% becoming one of the fastest-growing stations at only two years old.
Demographic Insights
The gender distribution among radio audiences remains almost evenly split, with males accounting for 50.1% and females at 49.9%.
The majority of listeners belong to the 18-24 age bracket (33.5%), followed by those aged 25-34 (26.8%).
This means that over 60% of radio listeners in Kenya are aged between 18 and 34, indicating that radio remains a vital source of information and entertainment for young adults.
The lowest radio listenership is recorded among individuals aged 45 and above, at just 6.1%. This suggests that older demographics may prefer alternative media platforms such as television, digital streaming services, or social media for news and entertainment.
Socioeconomic Classification
The study categorizes listeners based on their Living Standard Measure (LSM):
LSM 12-17 (Upper Class) – 11.5%
LSM 8-11 (Upper Middle Class) – 39.3%
LSM 5-7 (Lower Middle Class) – 26.7%
LSM 1-4 (Low-Income Group) – 22.5%
The data indicates that a significant proportion of listeners fall within the middle-class bracket, making up 66% of the audience.
This suggests that radio remains a dominant medium among middle-income Kenyans, who may have access to multiple media channels but still rely on radio for news, entertainment, and discussions.
Kenya's radio audience is predominantly rural, with 65.4% of listeners residing outside urban centres, while only 34.6% live in urban areas.
This distribution emphasises the enduring influence of radio as a primary source of news and entertainment in rural communities.
Regional Distribution
The report also highlights audience distribution across Kenya’s regions, with the highest listenership recorded in Central (18.4%). Rift Valley (14.9%), Western (13.5%), Nairobi (9.6%), Coast (8.9%), Lakeside (8.8%) Lower Eastern (8%), Upper Eastern (5.7%), North Eastern (5.7%), South Nyanza (3.9%) followed by North Western (2.7%)
As media consumption patterns evolve, radio stations will need to adapt to changing demographics and preferences to maintain their dominance in the market.