By Jeff Winters
Between 1st October and 15th December 2012, a countrywide survey was conducted by Ipsos, one of the leading research houses to determine Uganda’s most consumed media platforms. The research, known as The Uganda All Media Products Survey (UAMPS) covered 48 districts in the country. 5,000 face to face interviews were carried out with Ugandan adults male and female of 15 years and above to determine which media they consumed and how frequently.
UAMPS, despite some few shortcomings, still remains the single biggest measurement tool for the advertising industry. For advertisers, UAMPS helps assess the efficiency and cost effectiveness of media expenditure. In fact it answers the following question: is your money being appropriately spent on the right media houses?
For advertising agencies, it has become an integral tool for media planning and buying while for owners, it is an indexing tool against which important decisions such as rate card setting, programming and content review are made. And, in a market where many media houses hardly do research, it is an important consumer feedback tool.
Radio reigns
According to the research findings, radio still remains the most consumed media with 93% of the sampled audiences saying they have listened to radio in 7 days. Although this declined from 95% in 2011, Radio is still a strong medium for communication. However, the radio terrain still remains too fragmented, with over 280 radio stations active necessitating the need for tact while trying to negotiate through this maze.
Next to radio is the mobile phone, 66% of the sampled audiences said they had made a phone call in the past 7 days, up from 61% the previous year. As a result of increased mobile phone penetration and usage, SMS became another form of consuming communication, 31% indicated they had sent an SMS, up from 29% the previous year.
The mobile phone also became a big medium for consuming radio, with about 19% indicating they had listened to radio using a mobile phone.While radio and the mobile phone continued to grow in consumption strength, the consumption for TV and print (newspapers and magazines) both went down 29% percent of the sampled audiences indicated they had watched TV in 2012, down from 31 percent in 2011. Newspaper readership also went down, only 22% indicated they had read a newspaper, down from 35% in 2011.
BukeddeTV gives NTV Uganda sleepless nights
The research shows a tough fight for supremacy between NTV and BukeddeTV who many including NTV regarded as an unlikely source of competition. With Bukedde TV creeping up on NTV’s territory of viewers and advertisers, Uganda is ready for another showdown akin to that witnessed three or four years ago between WBSTv and NTV in which NTV emerged the victor.
Before that WBSTv had staged their own coup against UBCTv, the national broadcaster. Although, according to the research overall, NTV is still Uganda’s leading TV Station with the widest reach of 69% per week, compared to Bukedde’s 56%, it is important to realize that NTV’s reach is on the wane. For example while NTV’s reach grew from 59% in 2010 to 71% in 2011, in 2012, NTV slid to 69%.
While NTV is tripping, Bukedde maintained its steady growth and in 2012, overtook UBCTv as the No.2 Station with widest reach. In 2010, Bukedde, the all Luganda station with their flagship melodramatic Agataliiko Nfuufu news bulletin, has grown their reach from 34% in 2010 to 43% in 2011 and in 2012, gained 13% percentage points to reach 56%. UBC On the other hand, which in 2010 was in the second slot with an audience reach of 53% and dropped to 49% in 2011, but remained in the second slot, in 2012 slid from 49% in 2011 to 47% in 2012, giving way to Bukedde Tv which claimed the second spot.
Previously little known NBSTv which in 2010 was in the 5th Spot with a reach of 22%, in 2011 gained 5 percentage points to reach 27% in 2011 and in 2012 gained a further 10 percentage points, reaching 37% in 2012, knocking off WBSTv from the 4th spot. NBSTv’s success continues to emphasize WBSTv’s free fall from the second slot with a reach of 59% in 2009, down to 46% in 2010, before falling to 36% in 2011. By close of 2012, WBSTv’s had dwindled to a mere 31% for the once country’s number 1 TV station. Urban TV, the urban youth station, also owned by Vision Group, grew their reach from 4% in 2011 to 12% in 2012.
Bukedde is most watched
In measuring the strength of any electronic media channel in this case TV, two important considerations are made i.e reach and share of viewership. Reach refers to the total number of different people or households exposed, at least once, to a medium during a given period.
Reach should not be confused with the number of people who will actually be exposed to and consume the advertising; in advertising speak, it is just the number of people who are exposed to the medium and therefore have an opportunity to see or hear the ad or commercial. Share of viewership on the other hand is that percentage of time dedicated by a particular audience to a given TV station.
A particular person may be exposed to several TV stations and therefore share of viewership is a measure of preference and a more precise measurement of advertising reach. A higher share of viewership translates into a higher likelihood that your ad will be seen if placed on that station. Bukedde which in 2009 had a viewership of just 8% closed 2012 with the highest share of viewership at 30%.
On the other hand, NTV which in 2009 was at a distant 23%, steadily rising to 27% in 2010, started declining in 2011, reaching 26% and in 2012 lost another point and closed 2012 at 25%, 5 percentage points behind Bukedde which is at 30%. NTV is not the only loser; UBCTV which was in 2009 the No.3 with 18% share of viewership has been declining, with 15% in 2010, then 12% in 2011, closing 2012 at a mere 7%.
NBS TV which was launched late 2009 and therefore was not measured in 2009, in 2010 hit it off with a good 6% share of viewership. Although in 2011, there was a slight decline to 5%, in 2012, it picked up again, reaching 9 percent, gaining the No.3 place although this is a distant 16 percentage points behind NTV which is in No.2 position. WBS Tv which was in 2009 in the No.2 position with share of viewership of 20% has been steadily losing, with 12% in 2010, then 8% in 2011 and closing 2012 with a mere 6%.
Bukedde Vs NTV: Numbers do not lie
Analysts say that while Bukedde has the numbers, NTV still has the most influential and high quality audiences, thus making it the most influential TV station in the country, bringing back that quality vs quantity argument. To appropriately derive that argument, we measured both NTV and Bukedde head to head on some of the key facets such as quality of programming, quality of audiences etc.
• Programming
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According to the UAMPS, 14 out of the 20 top viewed programmes across the entire survey respondents are aired on NTV while the remaining 7 are from Bukedde. The other TVs do not feature. However, Bukedde’s Agataliko Nfuufu is the most watched programme, with 17 percent of the sampled audience confessing to watching the programme. NTV’s Luganda bulletin at 7pm is closely following in No.2 position with 15% following.
Surprisingly Moto Moto, a promotion by Crown Beverages was the third most watched programme, tying with Akawungezi at 15%. Although the programme was syndicated to over 3 TV stations including Bukedde and NTV, respondents attributed it to Bukedde TV. While NTV’s programming is king across Uganda, in the greater Kampala area where Luganda is the lingua-franca, Bukedde TV is the most watched programme, with 13 of the top 20 programmes being from Bukedde and the rest from NTV. Bukedde has the first top 3 programmes, with NTV’s Akawungezi in the 4th Spot; Bukedde then picks the next 3 spots.
• Reach
The battle for reach between NTV and Bukedde is a close one. NTV is the undisputed leader in overall reach, with a reach of 69% compared to Bukedde’s 56%. NTV also beats Bukedde in urban reach with an impressive 77% a slight increase from the 75% in 2011, compared to Bukedde’s 66%. It is however important to note that while NTV increased its reach by a mere 2%, Bukedde registered an 8% jump from 58% in 2011 to 66% in 2012.
For rural audiences, NTV, although declining, still maintains its reach advantage over Bukedde with a reach of 65% (in 2011 reach was 69%). Bukedde on the other hand jumped by 15 percentage points from 37% in 2011 to 52% in 2012. However, for Kampala, Bukedde which has 2 channels- Bukedde 1 &2 beats NTV at the reach game, with a reach of 92% (5 points up from 87% in 2011).
Although NTV’s reach also grew to 76% from 73 percent in 2011, it was no match for Bukedde. Bukedde also maintains a clear lead over NTV in the larger Buganda Region, with a reach of 91% in 2012 up by 9 percentage points from 82% in 2011 compared to NTV’s 64% a 4 percentage points’ jump from 60% in 2011.
• Share of Viewership
Overall, in 2012, Bukedde share of viewership stood at 30% compared to NTV’s 25%. The figures remain unchanged for urban viewers both maintaining at 30% and 25% for Bukedde and NTV respectively. Bukedde still rules the share of viewership for rural audience with 28% compared to NTV’s 25%. Bukedde’s share of viewership, in greater Kampala is far much wider at 35% compared to NTV’s 17%. In the Buganda region, Bukedde’s viewership is even wider at 45% compared to NTV’s 15%.
• Influence and Quality of Audience
In a largely free to air television business where viewers are not charged to view content, television owners largely depend on advertising revenue to remain in business. Advertisers on the other hand, do not only look at merely the share of viewership numbers and reach, but they also look at how deep the pockets of the particular audiences are.
Thus, to measure, who of the two Bukedde and NTV is the most influential and powerful; it is important that we look closely at the age group and social economic status of the audiences of the two TV stations. The age of the audience is important in that it will give you an indication of how likely it is that the viewers are economically active and capable of making informed purchasing decisions on their own a key ingredient for every advertiser who most often has something to sell.
As to whether a particular adult has enough spending power or is in position to influence others to buy, it is also important that the social economic status of the audience is graded. The combined sum of the two, (age and social economic status) give you a picture of how influential a particular media house is. In the 15-17 age category, NTV and Bukedde are head to head with 67% and 66% respectively, while in the 18-24 category, NTV wins the game with 69% compared to Bukedde’s 51%.
In the 25-34 and 35-44 categories (the most economically active) NTV beats Bukedde with 75% and 58% respectively, compared to Bukedde’s 59% and 51%. NTV also leads in the 45+ category with 73% vs Bukedde’s 39%. In the social economic classification, overall, NTV commands a lead in the social economic status of listeners, scoring 69%vs Bukedde’s 56% when it comes to how well off the particular viewers are. Particularly, NTV has the biggest chunk of AB viewers (the rich and who is who in society) a whole 90% compared to Bukedde’s 44%.
In fact, Bukedde which is largely considered mainly a low end mass appeal TV even loses out to NBSTV which has 60% of the rich audience. In the C1 and C2 category (middle class) the gap between NTV and Bukedde is narrowed down but again with NTV in the lead at 76% compared to Bukedde’s 64% (C1) while for the C2 Category NTV still maintains a much narrower lead 68% compared to Bukedde’s 66%. NTV is also in the lead when it comes to the D Category, with 65% compared to Bukedde’s 43% suggesting that a greater proportion of Bukedde’s audiences are from the non economically active and possibly less busy, who have more time to watch TV.
Looking Ahead: Will Bukedde Triumph over NTV?
The meteoric rise of Bukedde from an under estimated local Tv station to a national sensation which is watched across the board is one of those industry game changers in the TV business and certainly a key pointer to the importance of local content in the TV business. It also provides an opportunity for all media managers to re-think and possibly re-engineer their content and programming.
Already NTV has learnt the lesson and there are several moves to create as much local content as possible, while retaining the ‘elite’ positioning. The fall of WBSTv from No.1 also reemphasizes the point that in this business, there is no time for sleeping on the job- today you are No.1 and tomorrow is uncertain.But most importantly for NTV and the entire Nation Media Group to which NTV belongs, there is room to learn from Vision Group’s CEO Robert Kabushenga.
After spending three years putting together a multi-media empire with several radio stations, newspapers, magazines and TV stations, he has now focused on selling the integrated strengths of the Vision Group as opposed to individual units. Advertisers therefore, find it easier to spend on any of the Vision Group platforms, well knowing that there are other value additions across the group media platforms.
That is how Vision Group has been able to cash in on huge Properties such as Coca-Cola’s Rated Next and most recently Tusker Project Fame.The time is now for Nation Media Group to start actively selling the combined strengths of its platforms i.e Daily Monitor, NTV, KFM and Ddembe FM as well as Daily Monitor Online.
It would perhaps even help if both NTV and Monitor Publications are combined and put under one management.Whereas it unfathomable that Bukedde will replace NTV as Uganda’s most influential TV in the near future, anything is possible, who thought that the great mighty WBSTv would now be in the No.4 Position?