Media Council urges researchers to provide accurate data

Media Council of Kenya chief executive officer David Omwoyo gives his remarks during the IDEI Eastern Africa Conference at Intercontinental Hotel on November 13, 2017. He has said research firms should strive to provide credible data. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Local media houses lost billions of shillings in advertising revenue in the last three years following questionable research data.
  • The Media Council of Kenya acknowledged that advertising is a crucial segment in the running of operations in media houses.

The Media Council of Kenya is working on measures to promote availability of credible media data to inform advertising decisions by corporates and media agencies.

Noting that local media houses lost billions of shillings in advertising revenue in the last three years following questionable research data, Media Council of Kenya chief executive officer David Omwoyo on Friday said an advertising code and a kitty for funding media research will be established.

"The absence of a reliable and dependable audience and readership measurement system will have a negative impact on the advertising income, and subsequent sustainability of the media enterprises in the country," he said.

DISBAND

Mr Omwoyo added that the proposed code will also put in place dispute-resolution mechanisms.

His statement follows a complaint by media houses against the Kenya Audience Research Foundation over its research findings on TV and radio ratings.

On February 1 Nation Media Group, Radio Africa Group, Standard Group, Capital Group Limited and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation called for the disbandment of the firm, arguing its findings are compromised and they no longer have faith in it.

"We further request that KARF as currently constituted, be immediately disbanded and an all-inclusive process of establishing a more reliable and accurate research process and function be commenced immediately," the media houses said in a joint statement. 

INCOME

Mr Omwoyo acknowledged that advertising is a crucial segment in the running of operations in media houses, and issues affecting their income should be tackled with urgency.

"What I know is that we have capacity and resource issues at Kenya Audience Research Foundation (KARF) to conduct a credible research. These are some of the issues that we are addressing as a media regulator," he said at his Nairobi office.