International Broadcasting in
Ethiopia
Audience Analysis & Market Profile
July-December 2004
National Survey Report • 3224/04
Contents
Ethiopia at a Glance
Summary of Main Findings
Media Environment
Research Environment
2
4
5
Media Access and Use
TV/Radio: Penetration and Use
Computers and Internet: Penetration and Use
News and Information
Leading Sources
Listening/Viewing Times
6
7
8
9
10
International Broadcasting
Awareness and Listening by Languages
Best-Educated and Two Year Trend
VOA Listening by Ethnicity
Radio Overlap/ Any Media Reach
Radio Broadcaster Rankings
11
12
13
14
15
Audience Profiles
VOA
DW
16
22
Opinions and Attitudes
25
Appendix I: Demographics
27
Technical Summary Under Separate Cover
Prepared by: Adam Gluck & Leah Ermarth, ORC Macro
1401 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 434-9310
info@intermedia.org • www.intermedia.org
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
1
Ethiopia at a Glance: Summary of Main Findings
This report presents results of an InterMedia survey of adults (15 and older) in Ethiopia. InterMedia teaming partner
ORC Macro commissioned the Addis Ababa-based social research firm Miz Hasab Research Center, which conducted
1,992 interviews in Ethiopia from July through December, 2004. Given a sample of this size, the range of error with a
95 percent confidence interval would be ± 2.2percent; for the various VOA weekly listening rates found, the margin of
error is no worse ±1.0 percent. Figures may not total exactly 100 percent due to rounding.
• Although the rewriting of media laws and
promised opening of the airwaves to
private interests in 2004 suggested
changes in the Ethiopian media
environment, not much has actually
changed for the average citizen. Radio is
still the most popular media, dominated by
the state; international radio still operates
in a near SW only-environment, and
internet is barely measurable.
• However, Ethiopia is one of the only
countries surveyed in 2004 where VOA
reach and awareness are higher than in
2003, both inside and outside the capital.
VOA’s major competitor, DW, also
showed higher reach and awareness in
2004.
• VOA weekly reach in any language rose
from 3.2% in 2003 to 5.6% in 2004. DW
rose from 5.3% to 10%, in the same
period. High profile government
denouncements of VOA coverage of the
Gambela unrest in the spring and summer
of 2004 may have influenced international
radio listening across the board.
• Ethiopia conforms to the general rule that
international radio tends to attract more
highly educated citizens, even in
indigenous languages. However, its
audience profiles were noticeably young
in 2003, and they continued to be in 2004.
Nearly half of the adult VOA audience is
under the age of 24.
International Radio Listening by
Language (percent of adults listening)
Weekly
Annual
18.3%
11.0%
10.0%
5.2%
DW
Amharic
1.3% 2.1%
VOA
Amharic
VOA Afan
Oromo
1.1% 1.5%
0.1% 0.2%
VOA
Tigray
BBC
English
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
Listening in Any Language
(percent of adults listening)
Weekly
Annual
18.3%
10.0%
DW
11.5%
5.6%
VOA
1.1% 1.5%
BBC
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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Ethiopia at a Glance: Summary of Main Findings,
continued
• Something that has changed noticeably in the past year is the drop in Tigrigna reach which used to
have the best reach within its target ethnic audience in northern Ethiopia. While weekly listening
in Amharic has risen by several percentage points, weekly listening in Tigrigna has shrunk to
almost nothing. Overall, nobody in our sample claims to listen to Tigrigna exclusively. Afan
Oromo weekly reach has, by contrast, remained largely stable. It should be remembered that the
Horn Service changed the broadcast time, and expanded the length of, both the Tigrigna and Afan
Oromo language programs three months prior to the launch of the 2004 survey. Given that most
international radio listening in Ethiopia is appointment listening, it is certainly possible that some
listeners were lost in the clock change.
• The VOA audience is more interested in international news than it is in local news, which is
contrary to results found in many African markets. This is not because Radio Ethiopia has such
stellar trustworthiness ratings – they are in fact comparatively mediocre. It more likely has to do
with the role and long history of international radio in Ethiopia. VOA still has a very good
trustworthiness rating among listeners.
• Also contrary to many other markets, even those with FM access, Ethiopians are not complaining
about VOA reception; most annual listeners rate it as either good or excellent. This is true both
inside and outside of Addis Ababa.
• Although VOA reach among females has grown by three percentage points since 2003, the vast
majority of weekly listeners are male. Most are also rural, but then, so is 84% of the Ethiopian
population.
• Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries on the planet, according to standard development
indicators, yet 2004 survey respondents were significantly more positive about their household
situation than respondents in 2003. The number of respondents in 2004 who said they could not
afford to feed themselves is half that of 2003, but the number of respondents who have trouble
buying sufficient clothing has increased.
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Ethiopia at a Glance: Media Environment
• Population: Estimated adult (15+) population in sampled areas in 2004 = 37.3 million adults
(source: Population Research Bureau)
• Languages: The politics of language is quite sensitive in Ethiopia, where many either champion
or resent the Amharization of official life in the country. While Amharic is the language of
government and early instruction, Afan Oromo, Tigrigna, Somali, and Arabic are also spoken.
There are over 80 living languages in Ethiopia. English is truly a language of the elite. In 2004,
fewer than 1% of the adult population spoke it fluently. (Source: Ethnologue, ORC Macro survey
2004, variable: Ethlang)
• Radio: Ethiopia has one of the lowest radio penetration figures in Africa, although its media
poverty makes radio the closest thing to mass-media that exists. At this writing, the state of radio
was in flux. The government was still in the midst of rewriting media laws that at once promised
some liberation of the airwaves through auction to private broadcasters, yet tightened libel laws to
restrict journalists critical of the government. There are currently no private radio services in
Ethiopia, and consequently no VOA affiliates. The use of FM is nascent. In fact, the term “FM” in
the capital Addis Ababa refers to the name of a single music station run by the government.
• Television: Television also has extremely low penetration in Ethiopia, and terrestrial services are
all government owned (ETV). Satellite programming does exist, but fewer than one percent of the
population has access to it. There is no terrestrial access to VOA TV in Ethiopia, but some of its
programming can be seen on satellite channels in major hotels, along with BBC World and DW
TV.
• Press: There are a few daily and dozens of weekly newspapers in Ethiopia, most of them in
Addis. The government papers, The Herald and Addis Zemen, in English and Amharic
respectively, each have an estimated circulation of about 19,000. Most private papers, few with a
circulation over 10,000, are not widely considered credible. (Source: ORC Macro, WAAG
Communications Media Study, Addis Ababa 2004) Adult literacy is estimated at around 42%.
(Source: UNDP HD report, 2004) There is also a second-hand market for newspapers in the
capital.
• Internet: Despite the fact that the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) is the oldest
PTO in Africa, it has one of the least developed networks in the world. Internet penetration in
Ethiopia in 2004 was barely measurable. The ITU estimates there are only 10 users per 10,000
inhabitants, compared to the African average of 148. A visit to Addis confirms the lack of new
internet cafés. This compares rather starkly with Eritrea, the now independent ex-province of
Ethiopia, which is similarly poor, but has sprouted internet cafés and users all over the capital of
Asmara.
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Ethiopia at a Glance: Research Environment
• Research Infrastructure: Nearly all modern infrastructure is weak in Ethiopia, including research
infrastructure. Less than one percent of the population receives post-secondary education, and
hardly any more than that get their high school diploma, so there are very few qualified
researchers, and almost no commercial market. Nearly all research that does go on is managed by
foreigners and expatriates, funded by aid agencies. Market research firms from Kenya occasionally
do work for their clients in urban Ethiopia. However, ORC Macro has teamed with a small firm,
recently established in the capital with an all-local staff, its management trained in the U.S., with a
history of quality research supporting public health and education programs.
• Survey Details: ORC Macro’s field partner is Miz-Hasab Research Center (MHRC), who
conducted both the 2004 and 2003 national surveys of Ethiopia under the IARP. Face-to-face
interviews were conducted in towns and villages around the country, with the exception of Harari,
Afar, Gambela, Benshangul-Gumaz regions, which make up less than 8% of the population aged 15
and above. Miz-Hasab uses a very small dedicated team of interviewers, who move around the
country as a team, or at the most, divided into two teams. The advantage to this is that interviewers
are very practiced at their task and tend to provide high-quality work. The disadvantage is the
lengthy fielding process, which typically takes at least 3 months for a national survey of 2,000
households. After 2004 fieldwork was concluded, the final sample size included 2,011 completed
interviews, which was reduced to 1,992 after data cleaning. Given a sample of this size, the range
of error at the 95% confidence interval for the VOA weekly listening rates mentioned in this report
would be no greater than 1.0% for the specific language services.
• Special Considerations: During the launch of this survey, VOA came under loud attack by the
government of Ethiopia. The weeks just prior and during the initial training of interviewers on the
questionnaire in May, the Ministry of Information accused VOA publicly, sometimes on the front
page of its daily newspaper, of manipulating facts surrounding the unrest in Gambela. In the
summer, there was even a government-organized anti-VOA rally planned, although apparently
scratched due to low attendance. (Source: WAAG Communications) Although it is impossible to
quantify, this may have had two affects on the survey: dragging fielding out several months as
official letters of permission were severely delayed, and possibly increasing reported listening rates
to VOA and possibly its competitor, DW. It should also be noted that fieldwork was postponed by
2 months at the last minute because of a change in broadcast clock by the Horn Service.
Researchers wanted to give the audience time to adjust to the new schedule. Listening figures
suggest that they did.
• Overall Reliability: This research gives us a good understanding of media use among adults in
Ethiopia, as well as a good understanding of how that use compares to that in 2003. Both surveys
were fielded by the Miz-Hasab Research Center, using similar sampling and weighting
methodologies, and both raw samples produced similar demographic indicators, although the 2004
raw sample was less well educated overall. It is ORC Macro’s opinion that the Ethiopian survey
results are some of the more reliable in Africa under the IARP, despite the lack of a developed
infrastructure beyond MHRC.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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TV and Radio: Penetration and Use
Ownership/Access
Radio
Access to Waveband
48%
16%
FM
Television
8%
MW
Mobile
Satellite
0.2%
Computer
0.2%
Cable
7%
SW
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
“Yesterday” Use
Radio
Television
Newspapers
Internet
34%
1%
18%
6%
2%
0.1%
24%
Base: n=1,547 (adults 15 and older who own radio) in Ethiopia
“Yesterday” Waveband Use
FM
MW
SW
4%
10%
4%
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Media use has not changed significantly in Ethiopia in the past year. Access to radio has increased
slightly, by six percentage points, and access to television has remained steady since 2003. Access
to short wave has not budged, and access to both FM and MW has increased slightly in the same
period. Changes in “yesterday” use for all media are within or very close to the margin of error
from 2003 figures. Despite 2004 revisions to the press law, the average person Ethiopians have not
experienced much if any change in the media environment.
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Computers and Internet: Penetration and Use
Internet Use
0.1%
0.1%
Yesterday use
Weekly use
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
Internet Activity Among Users
Where did you use the internet?
At an internet cafe
63%
Which activities used in last four
weeks?
77%
Send email
31%
Games or entertainment
At work
37%
At home of friend/relative
20%
At home
17%
At school/ college/
university
11%
Public Library 1%
Work related tasks
9%
Download software/files
8%
Newsgroups, chat rooms
6%
Find latest news
5%
Listen to music
5%
Pursue business opportunities
4%
Listen to radio programs
3%
Purchase an item
3%
Base: n=43 monthly internet users (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Internet use is still barely measurable in Ethiopia. One tenth of one percent of adults use it weekly
or more. Most that do live in the capital, and probably follow typical African use trends: mostly in
internet café’s, and mostly to send email. The very low base for these figures, however, suggest
that we can not draw very reliable conclusions about any internet habits at all.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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Media Use: News and Information
How often do you use the following sources to get news about
current events?
Daily
Weekly
52%
32%
25%
23%
15%
14%
4%
Radio
Friends/
Family
Members
Religious
Services
2%
International
Radio
6%
14%
0.2%
6%
0.0%
5%
Television New spapers Community
Gatherings
0.0% 2%
0.3% 2%
0.0% 2%
Magazines
International
TV
Official
Meetings
Which television stations, radio stations or newspapers are your
most important sources of information?
62%
19%
Ethiopia
Radio
ETV
17%
Radio Fana
11%
FM
10%
VOA
5%
2.5%
1.8%
1.1%
1%
DW
Radio
Tigray
Addis
Zemen
BBC
Addis
Admas
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Related to radio and TV access trends are small changes in how people choose to get their news.
As in 2003, people go to radio and friends or family most often, but a slight increase in radio access
is concurrent with a slight decrease in using word of mouth for news. Television and newspapers
are used for news at the same rate they were in 2003 (rather infrequently), but a slight increase in
using international radio to get the news correlates with higher reach figures for both VOA and DW
in 2004.
• Radio Ethiopia remains Ethiopians’ most important news source by a very wide margin.
Interestingly, more people cite both it and VOA as an important news source than actually claim to
listen to them weekly. This is likely testament to the strength of word of mouth in Ethiopia. People
who listen to the news on ER or VOA likely tell their neighbors about it, and cite the source.
(Note: TV, radio and press are combined into one graph in the “most important” chart instead of one
graph per medium, because there was only one TV program cited by the respondents, ETV, and for
press, none of the newspapers or magazines were cited by more than 2% of the population.)
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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Media Use: Leading Sources
Television
Watched yesterday
Watched in past week
15%
6%
0.2% 0.9%
0.0% 0.3%
0.1% 0.3%
0.1% 0.2%
0.0% 0.2%
0.0% 0.2%
DSTV
CNN Int'l
BBC World
SABC
Sky News
MTV
ETV
Radio
Listened yesterday
Listened in past week
44%
15%
19%
4%
Radio Ethiopia
12%
5%
Radio Fana
3%
0.8%
FM
Radio Tigrigna
Press
Read in past week
1.8%
1.8%
1.4%
1.1%
Addis Zemen
Kal Kidan
Tsingereda
Addis Admas
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• State owned ETV is the only television channel with any significant reach in Ethiopia. About one
percent of adults watch something on the DSTV satellite service per week. The specific news
channels available on DSTV, such as CNN, SABC from South Africa, and BBC World all have
minuscule reach.
• Forty-four percent of the adult population listens to state-owned Radio Ethiopia weekly, about one
in five to Radio Fana, which is not technically state-owned but run by the ruling party. FM is a
music driven government station aimed at youth, and is popular in Addis Ababa.
(Note: The top graph includes international TV stations, whose impact do not merit a separate
graph. International radio will be treated separately in dedicated graphs starting on p. 10.)
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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Media Use: Listening/Viewing Times
TV/Radio Reach at Various Times of Day
Percentage of Adults Listening/Viewing “Yesterday”
VOA radio broadcast times
Television
Radio
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0:00
23:00
22:00
21:00
20:00
19:00
18:00
17:00
16:00
15:00
14:00
13:00
12:00
11:00
10:00
9:00
8:00
7:00
6:00
5:00
0%
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Although the peaks and valleys of daily media use look very similar to those found in 2003, a
noticeably larger proportion of the population (about 11%) are listening to radio at the 20:00
evening peak than were last year (7%).
• This time corresponds with when ETV and Radio Ethiopia broadcast their nightly news. Although it
is important not to compete with the state services in their own timeslot, the newly expanded VOA
Afan Oromo and Tigrigna broadcasts do occur at the single lowest point of listening during the day.
VOA Amharic programs are broadcast a little later, when radio listening about doubles, but before
the peak.
• There is no point during the entire day when more than 5% of Ethiopian adults are watching
television.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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International Broadcasting
Awareness
Spontaneous
47%
• Both VOA and DW have increased awareness by
11 percentage points since 2003, BBC by a
smaller 5 points. This is consistent with the
earlier figures indicating slightly increased
access and use of international radio generally.
Prompted
44%
21%
23%
26%
20%
• As in 2003, awareness of VOA is split quite
evenly between spontaneous and prompted.
13%
7%
21%
DW
VOA
BBC
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• VOA has regained, and DW perhaps
slightly exceeded, any reach they may
have lost between 2002 and 2003, when
numbers were down for both broadcasters.
Listening in Any Language
Weekly
Annual
18.3%
• Although BBC is considered the standardbearer for international radio among
respondents throughout most of Africa,
they do not broadcast in any local
language for Ethiopia, and do not present
serious competition to either VOA or DW.
Listening by Language
Weekly
Annual
18.3%
11.0%
10.0%
5.2%
DW
Amharic
VOA
Amharic
1.3% 2.1%
VOA Afan
Oromo
1.1% 1.5%
0.1% 0.2%
VOA
Tigrigna
BBC
English
10.0%
11.5%
5.6%
1.1% 1.5%
DW
VOA
BBC
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Listening in Amharic has had the
greatest impact on 2004 reach
increases. While changes in the other
two languages are within the margin of
error, it is reasonable to assume, once
the recent change in Afan Oromo and
Tigrigna broadcast times are taken into
account, that neither has gained, and
Tigrigna may have actually lost
audience in the last year.
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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International Broadcasting
Listening Among University Educated
Weekly
67.7%
36.1%
Annual
60.0%
37.1%
34.5%
13.7%18.3%
0.4%
DW Amharic
VOA Amharic
0.9%
8.6% 14.0%
VOA Afan
VOA Tigrigna VOA English
Oromo
Base: n=156 (university educated adults 15 and older] in Ethiopia
20.5%
BBC English
• Like elsewhere in Africa, the educated in Ethiopia are most likely to listen to international
radio. Two thirds of all university educated listen weekly to DW in Amharic, and nearly as
many listen to VOA. Quite a number of university educated Ethiopians also listen to BBC,
indeed, comprising about one third of their entire national audience. The one exception
seems to be VOA Tigrigna, as hardly anyone listens regardless of education level.
Listening Trends in any
Language
VOA
DW
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
5.3%
5.6%
• VOA trend figures, in particular, are close
enough to the margin of error to be somewhat
speculative. Although close to the margin of
error, it seems safe to say that any drop in VOA
listening that may have occurred in 2003 did not
last into 2004. The negative but sustained press
that VOA received from government media in
the spring and summer of 2004 raised both
awareness and reach for the station.
• Since most VOA listeners also listen to DW, the
increased reach for the latter station may be an
effect of the increase in VOA reach.
3.2%
2002
2003
2004
Base: n=2,037 in 2002, n=1,966 in 2003; 1,992 in 2004
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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VOA Languages by Ethnicity
VOA Among Amhara
Weekly
Annual
13.7%
6.3%
13.7%
• The ethnic composition of VOA’s audience has
changed dramatically since 2003. In 2003, less
than 3% of Amhara listened to VOA. This year,
Amharas deliver not only the largest audience
numerically, but are the best penetrated ethnic
group in Ethiopia for VOA’s Horn Service.
6.3%
VOA Amharic
VOA Any Language
VOA Among Oromo
Base: n=847 (Amhara adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
Weekly
• The noted rise in weekly listening to VOA
in their native language among the Oromo
is not statistically significant. The 3.5%
rise in any language listening, however, is
significant, although the difference is
smaller than among the Amhara. 5.2 % of
Oromo listen to VOA Amharic weekly.
VOA Among Tigre
Weekly
Annual
17.7%
10.1%
1.1%
1.9%
VOA Tigray
VOA Any Language
Base: n=305 (Tigre adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
Annual
11.1%
3.8%
5.0%
VOA Afan Oromo
6.5%
VOA Any Language
Base: n=460 (Oromo adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• What is most remarkable is the decline in
listening to VOA in Tigrigna among the
Tigre. In 2003, VOA Tigrigna had the best
penetration of its target ethno-linguistic
group, if the smallest audience numerically,
of all 3 languages in the Horn Service. This
has been reversed in 2004.
• If Tigre are not listening in Tigrigna, they
are listening in some language, however,
since “any language” reach is high at over
10%. That other language is Amharic. It is
likely, that the change in the Tigrigna clock
had something to do with this switch. While
93% of annual Oromo listeners are aware of
the change, less than 45% of Tigrigna
listeners are.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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International Broadcasting: Radio Overlap & VOA
All Media Reach
VOA Any Media Reach
Yesterday
Weekly
5.7%
1.3%
0.0%
0.1%
VOA TV (all programs)
VOA Any Media
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
Major International Station
Weekly Overlap
36%
VOA and DW
VOA only
DW only
51%
13%
Base: n=358 Weekly listeners to Major International broadcasters (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• There is so little VOA TV viewing, television does not change VOA’s any media reach.
• About four times as many international radio listeners tune in to DW exclusively in a given week
than to VOA. In fact, most VOA listeners listen to DW as well.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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Radio Broadcaster Rankings
How trustworthy is the news and information heard on….?
(Percentage of any language annual listeners answering “very trustworthy/somewhat trustworthy”)
72.7%
Radio Tigrigna
VOA
65.0%
BBC
64.7%
DW
Radio Tosa
Radio Ethiopia
Radio Fana
FM
59.1%
12.2%
14.0%
23.3%
12.0%
Very trustworthy
Somewhat trustworthy
54.8%
53.8%
52.0%
48.8%
27.8%
12.1%
14.3%
21.0%
Base: 12-month listeners for each broadcaster (Any Language):
Radio Tigrigna = 221; VOA = 494; BBC = 140; DW = 642; Radio Tosa = 129; Radio Ethiopia = 1717; Radio Fana = 1210; FM = 832;
• Both VOA and DW, the only international stations broadcasting in local languages, have
better trustworthiness ratings than Radio Ethiopia, the main state channel, but VOA more
significantly so. The station most trusted by its listeners, though, is Radio Tigrigna, run by
the regional state government of Tigray, in the north of the country.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
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Audience Profiles: VOA Horn Service
VOA Amharic/Afan Oromo/Tigrigna Audience in Ethiopia
Weekly Audience Composition
VOA weekly reach: 5.6%
Sex
VOA
Age
General Population
VOA
General Population
89%
51%
50%
47%
35%
25% 23%
11%
Male
Female
15-24
17% 17%
25-34
Residence
VOA
14%
45-54
5% 6%
1% 4%
55-64
65+
Education
General Population
81%
35-44
6%
VOA
General Population
84%
63%
52%
41%
19%
16%
Urban
12%
Rural
None
20%
7%
2%
1%
3% 0.4%
Primary
Incomplete Complete
(Complete Secondary Secondary
or
Incomplete)
Higher
VOA Base: 216 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard VOA in Amharic, Afan Oromo, or Tigrigna in past week
General Population Base: 1,992 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia
• Most of the local language VOA audience in Ethiopia continue to be male, although female
representation is up by three points since 2003. It also continues to be largely rural.
• The VOA audience in Ethiopia was atypically young in 2003, but looks to be getting even younger.
Among people over 55 and in the early householder age bracket of 25-34, fewer are listening while
significantly more people in their teens and early 20s are listening.
InterMedia Audience Analysis & Market Profile • Ethiopia • July-December, 2004 • 3224/04 • Page
16
Audience Profiles: VOA Audience Profiles
VOA Amharic/Afan Oromo/Tigrigna Audience in Ethiopia
Weekly Audience Composition
VOA weekly reach: 5.6%
VOA Weekly Language Overlap
Amharic and
Oromo
17%
Oromo Only
7%
Tigrigna and
Amharic
2%
Amharic
Only
73%
All 3
1%
Base: 216 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard VOA in Amharic, Afan Oromo, or Tigrigna in past week
• While it is no surprise that Amharic has the largest number of exclusive listeners, it is also notable
that there were no Tigrigna-only listeners found in the survey. Most Afan Oromo listeners also
listen in Amharic. Less than 1 in 10 Ethiopian listeners tune VOA exclusively in a language other
than Amharic.
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Audience Profiles: VOA Horn Service
VOA Amharic/Afan Oromo/Tigrigna Audience in Ethiopia
Weekly Reach Among Demographic Segments
VOA weekly reach: 5.6%
Age
Sex
10.1%
7.4%
5.9%
5.4%
1.2%
Male
Female
15-24
25-34
35-44
2.5%
45-54
4.9%
55-64
1.4%
65+
Education
Residence
30.6%
20.7%
16.3%
6.8%
8.8%
5.4%
1.3%
Urban
Rural
None
Primary Incomplete Complete
(Complete Secondary Secondary
or
Incomplete)
Higher
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• About one in ten adult males in Ethiopia listen to some VOA programming in a local language at
least once per week. Just over one female in 100 does the same.
• VOA continues to reach well into the population with higher education, as it always has, but is
doing noticeably better this year among those with only primary of some secondary education. This
is, of course, because the broadcaster is doing better among those between 15-24 than it was last
year.
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Audience Profiles: VOA Horn Service
VOA Amharic
Annual Audience Listening Behavior
On which waveband do you listen?
47%
SW
How long do you usually listen?
5 minutes or less
1%
11%
6 to 10 minutes
7%
AM
VOA Amharic annual reach: 11.0%
15%
11 to 15 minutes
FM
0%
16 to 20 minutes
46%
Don't Know
How would you characterize your
reception of VOA Amharic?
Usually
Excellent
Bad
4%
57%
26 to 30 minutes
Compared with a year ago, do you listen…?
43%
Usually
Good
Usually
Poor
21 to 25 minutes
9%
49%
6%
0%
More
frequently
Less
frequently
25%
19%
About the
same
49%
Base: 485 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard VOA in Amharic in past year
• VOA modes of delivery have not changed, at least from a user perspective, since 2003. It is still
almost an entirely SW environment, despite the presence of a VOA transmitter in Djibouti.The
Djibouti AM transmitter, although omni-directional, broadcasts Arabic/Radio Sawa into Yemen and
beyond, and doesn’t carry Ethiopian languages. Neither do the two FMs there, which likely can’t
be heard anyway.) More annual listeners in 2004 than in 2003 were ignorant of the waveband they
listen on.
• Most annual listeners are listening to an entire show (each language is 30 minutes) and rate
reception as good to excellent.
• Listeners to the VOA Tigrigna and VOA Oromo service exhibit behaviors similar to that of the
Amharic listeners. However, the relatively low levels of listening prevent a detailed analysis.
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Audience Profiles: VOA Horn Service
VOA Amharic/Afan Oromo/Tigrigna Audience in Ethiopia
Weekly Audience Attitudes Toward Programming
VOA weekly reach: 5.6%
Which topic is the most
important to you?
• International news trumps local
news in the interest of VOA
weekly audiences, and to a
noticeably greater degree in 2004
than in 2003. However, Ethiopians
are starting to show an increasing
interest in domestic versus
international news.
57%
International News
Domestic News
Agriculture
News about neighboring
countries
38%
3%
1%
Health and medicine
1%
Economics/ Business
0.4%
• More airtime continues to be the
Answers to listeners' letters 0.4%
number one recommendation of
annual VOA listeners. More
Life of Ethiopians in USA 0.2%
people this year noted that they
want better broadcast times than
If there are things you VOA would do to
last year. Last year, the number of
improve, what would you suggest?
people who wanted an improved
47%
More Airtime
signal was 20% higher than this
year. This figure, with the good
32%
Better Broadcast Times
signal ratings cited earlier in the
Improve Signal
24%
report, suggest that delivery may
22%
News About Local Topics
be improving.
More Objectivity
18%
Improve Balance of Programs
15.3%
More Interactive Programs
4.2%
Improve On-Air Presentation
3.0%
Shorter Program Segments
1%
More Music
1%
Base: 216 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard VOA in Amharic,
Afan Oromo, or Tigrigna in past week
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Audience Profiles: VOA Horn Service
VOA Amharic/Afan Oromo/Tigrigna Audience in Ethiopia
Weekly Audience Attitudes Toward Programming
VOA weekly reach: 5.6%
Which programs or rubrics do you enjoy listening to or are important to you?
Alem Bezih Samint
72%
Ye Radio Mesihhet
68%
65%
Kezam Kezam
Tena
47%
Ethiopian Ba America
44%
Mestawot
39%
38%
Americana Hezboh
Ye Behel Medrek
31%
Ursha
30%
Waa’ee Uummata Oromo Kana Beektuu Laata?
26%
Africance Riisoch
Eritrea Weyan ab America
Africa beahynee Gazettat America
19%
3%
1%
Base: 216 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard VOA in Amharic, Afan Oromo, or Tigrigna in past week
• Alem Bezih Samint continues to be viewed as VOA’s most important show in Ethiopia. It is
followed by Ye Radio Mesihhet, and Kezam Kezam. The Americana magazine show is rated as the
least important to listeners, as it was in 2003.
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Audience Profiles: DW Amharic Service
DW Amharic Audience in Ethiopia
DW weekly reach: 10.0%
Weekly Audience Composition
Sex
DW
Age
DW
General Population
General Population
77%
51%
50%
50%
35%
23%
Male
20%
15-24
Female
23%
14% 17%
25-34
Residence
DW
14%
45-54
6% 6%
4% 4%
55-64
65+
Education
General Population
80%
35-44
6%
DW
General Population
84%
66%
52%
41%
20%
16%
Urban
13%
Rural
None
18%
7%
1%
1%
Primary
Incomplete Complete
(Complete Secondary Secondary
or
Incomplete)
2% 0.4%
Higher
DW Base: 305 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard DW in Amharic in past week
General Population Base: 1,992 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia
• Although it has grown in size, the DW audience in Ethiopia has remained very stable
demographically. Like VOA, it has attracted a larger proportion of school-aged youth.
• Its audience continues to be largely male, rural, with at least some primary education.
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Audience Profiles: DW Amharic Service
DW Amharic
DW weekly reach: 10.0%
Weekly Reach Among Demographic Segments
Age
Sex
15.7%
14.1%
8.7%
8.3%
4.5%
Male
Female
15-24
25-34
35-44
9.9%
55-64
65+
4.5%
45-54
Education
Residence
26.8%
13.0%
9.5%
33.8%
24.7%
16.3%
9.5%
2.5%
Urban
Rural
None
Primary Incomplete Complete
(Complete Secondary Secondary
or
Incomplete)
Higher
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• DW penetrates various demographic segments in similar measure to VOA, considering its larger
audience size. It does somewhat better among those with incomplete secondary over those with
complete secondary education, compared to VOA. Neither does very well among those with no
education at all.
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Audience Profiles: DW Amharic Service
DW Amharic
DW weekly reach: 10.0%
Weekly Audience Listening Behavior
On which waveband do you listen?
72%
SW
AM
FM
How long do you usually listen?
4 minutes or less
0%
5 to 9 minutes
1%
2%
14%
10 to 14 minutes
0%
26%
Don't Know
15 to 19 minutes
1%
20 to 24 minutes
3%
11%
25 to 29 minutes
How would you characterize your
reception of DW Amharic?
30 to 34 minutes
0%
35 to 39 minutes
1%
40 to 44 minutes
2%
45 to 49 minutes
47%
Usually Excellent
49%
Usually Good
Usually Poor
Bad
66%
2%
0%
DW Base: 305 adults [15 and older] in Ethiopia, heard DW in Amharic in past week
• While there is no alternative to SW for international broadcasters in Ethiopian, a large minority of
listeners can not say which waveband they listen to DW on. Most weekly listeners are tuning into
the whole Amharic program, and also rate DW’s reception as good or excellent.
• Both VOA and DW listening behavior continues to suggest appointment listening to international
radio in Ethiopia.
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Market Profile: Opinions and Attitudes
How important is it for you to stay
informed about events in Ethiopia ?
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important
80%
How interested are you in politics?
Very
interested
33%
Somewhat
interested
21%
10%
Not very
interested
1%
10%
Not at all
interested
19%
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Ethiopians continue to feel it is very important to stay informed about events in their own country.
The differences in responses to the question asked in 2003 and 2004 were within the margin of
error. Ethiopians reported an increased interest in politics, however, from 2003, when only 23%
said they were “very interested”.
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Market Profile: Opinions and Attitudes
How favorably inclined are you toward the following countries?
Very favorably
Somewhat favorably
Neither/nor
Somewhat unfavorably
Very unfavorably
26%
14% 13%
18%
15%
14%
10%
12% 11%
7%
4%
4%
3% 1%
0%
Germany
USA
11% 10%
3%
1%
Great Britain
0%
S. Africa
What is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the United States?
37%
7%
Economic
position
Military power
6%
Technological
advancements
1%
1%
0.4%
Support for
democracy
American
personal
attributes
Political
power/influence
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• While Ethiopians continue to be more favorably inclined towards the US than other countries
mentioned, they were less willing to express their ratings this year. In fact, nearly twice as many
declined to answer this question, across all countries, as did in 2003. While low education levels
may account for some non-response generally, it is unlikely to account for a much higher incidence
of non-response after only 14 months. It is possible that political factors were at play.
• Economic position is still the first thing that comes to mind when Ethiopians are asked about the
US, followed distantly by military power and other factors.
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Appendix I: Demographics
Age
Sex
Male
50%
Female
50%
35%
23%
15-24
Language Spoken at Home
25-34
17%
14%
35-44
45-54
6%
4%
55-64
65+
Foreign Language Knowledge
46%
32%
28%
20%
13%
6%
Amharic
Afan
Oromo
Tigrigna
Other
Amharic
Afan
Oromo
3%
6%
8%
Tigrigna
English
Other
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• The demographic composition of Ethiopia has remained stable, with the population split evenly
between male and female, and over one third of adults 15 and are under the age of 25.
• One thing that has changed slightly is the prevalence of Amharic, as both a language spoken at
home (up 4 points in the past year) and as a foreign language (up 3 points in the past year). Nearly
4 in 5 adult Ethiopians claim to have some knowledge of the language. Knowledge of English have
both remained low but steady.
• As a language spoken at home, Tigrigna and Afan Oromo have maintained the same levels as in
2003. Both languages have experienced slight increases in the amount of persons who understand
them as “foreign languages” (Afan Oromo is up 4 points from last year, and Tigrigna is up 1 point
from last year.)
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Appendix I: Demographics
Education
52%
41%
7%
None
Primary
Incomplete
(Complete or Secondary
Incomplete)
1%
0%
Complete
Secondary
Higher
Income
64%
26%
Not enough
even to buy
food
Enough for
food, but
buying
clothes is
difficult
10%
1%
0.1%
Enough for
food and
clothes, not
enough for
expensive
Can afford
certain
expensive
goods
Can afford
whatever we
want
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Ethiopia remains a country where over half the population has never been to school. The largest
segment of those who have comprises people who have some primary school. When combined with
UN literacy statistics, these figures indicate that most, though not all, of those that attend primary
school in Ethiopia learn how to read.
• One of the indicators that has changed most noticeably from 2003 to 2004 is self-reported wealth.
Last year, 54% said they could not afford to feed themselves. Most of those people have moved
into the next higher income category, and can afford food, but find buying clothing difficult. As in
2003, only 10% say they can afford both food and clothing, only 1% can afford certain expensive
goods, and almost nobody can afford whatever they want. It is hard to say weather this represents a
real shift in income, or more a function of the random sample.
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Appendix I: Demographics
Region
Addis Somali
Ababa 4.7%
5.1%
Religion
Dire Dawa
0.3%
Oromiya
36.5%
Orthodox
56%
Tigray
6.2%
Catholic
1%
Protestant
10%
SNNPR
19.7%
Amhara
27.6%
Muslim
33%
Base: n=1,992 (adults 15 and older) in Ethiopia
• Ethiopia remains over 80% rural, with most of the population living in Oromiya and Amhara.
• The percentage of Muslims in Ethiopia has long been a politicized debate, no less so in the age of
the War on Terror. Various sources have generally estimated the number of Muslims at just under
half the population, with the rest being primarily Orthodox Christian. In this 2004 survey, that
number fell from 48% to 33%, while Orthodox Christianity rose from 43% to 56%. This is unlikely
to be a real change in religious affiliation, but rather a function of the distribution of those
practicing particular faiths.
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