Capita Radio unhappy with MACRA’s listenership survey: ‘Other stations do not have a specific format’
Capital Radio Malawi (LTD) is bitter with the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority’s failure to recognize, encourage and measure correctly the contribution the radio is making in reaching out to a niche and equally important segment of the population.
Meanwhile, the station has thanked advertisers and loyal listeners for their continued support in the wake of “negative comments” from the Radio Listenership Survey done in 2012 by MACRA that placed Capital Radio amongst the lowest in listenership.
The station appealed to MACRA to re-publish and clarify its findings in light of several “glaring anomalies” in their survey.
The station’s management mainly sought an explanation from MACRA on the following issues: the methodology they used, whether this was qualitative or quantitative research, population and sample levels of measurement, among others.
“These are important questions especially when they are considered against the following facts: Capital Radio is the only radio station that uses a specific Audit Contemporary (AC) format.
“Capital Radio targets a mainly English-speaking audience in all the urban and per-urban centres of Malawi targeting decision makers and the upwardly mobile. Capital Radio also has a secondary target of rural communities, to ensure that we fulfill our social responsibility with programming that enhances the lives of the marginalized and empowers them to demand their rights for development,” reads the statement issued by the station’s management.
They further claims that other stations do not have a specific format and they compete for a mainly vernacular speaking audience, and wondered why all radios stations were lumped in the same category.
“Some radio stations received rankings in places such as Chitipa, Karonga and Dedza when they were not even broadcasting in these areas.
“In light of these anomalies, we appealed to MACRA to clarify and publish its findings. To date, we have not had the courtesy of a response from MACRA.
“We are also concerned by the failure of MACRA to discourage the example of crude and misleading attacks that were levelled at “Capital Radio and others” in publications in daily newspapers from Monday, 9 September 2013,” says the station.
