Survey rates MBC highly
Taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) television and Radio One have emerged as the most watched and listened to outlets in a survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) commissioned the survey on the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in the country. It has been touted as the first national survey on access and usage of ICT services in Malawi.
In terms of television viewership, the survey, undertaken in the country’s 28 districts between November 2014 and January 2015, found that MBC television has an 87 percent lead followed by Luntha TV at 32 percent with Times TV on third with 31 percent viewership.
In the radio category, MBC Radio One has a listenership of 80.2 percent trailed by privately owned Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and MBC Radio 2 on third place.
Reacting to the news, MBC director general Aubrey Sumbuleta said the survey results confirm the feedback the institution was getting from non-governmental organisations operating in urban and rural areas.
MBC commercial director Levie Nkunika said the broadcaster will not relax, but continue improving content to add value to advertisers and its listenership.
MBC, established in 1964, is the oldest broadcaster in Malawi having enjoyed a monopoly until the airwaves were liberalised in the late 1990s.
The survey had a sample of 12 000 across the country’s 28 districts and was conducted between November 2014 and January 2015 looking into household and individual usage and access to mobile and fixed phones, television and radio, pay TV as well as post office box.
