FoME Symposium 2014: Audience research in media development Making media markets work: Emerging experience in Nepal 7 th November 2014 Gavin Anderson Development consultant

Audience research

Samarth- NMDP (Nepal market Development Project) 5 year DFID funded Programme Rural income-poverty reduction programme Primarily focused on agricultural and rural small business development Why media development?

Nepal A large and diverse media industry in Nepal ~ 370 radio stations ~28 TV stations ~ 400+ daily publications ~2000+ weekly publications Population : 31 million Non Urban population: 82.7% Literacy: 60.3% HDI ranking: 145/187

Usage of media / information channels: Rural

Preferred media channel for agricultural information

Radio: A sector in crisis 4 in 10 radio stations reported reduced profitability over the past 5 years More than half of stations had reduced staff numbers in the past 5 years with an average reduction of 14 staff More than half of all radio stations believe radio is not a profitable sector to be in. More than two thirds of stations believe that their profitability will decrease in the next 5 years 43% of commercial radio stations believe that it is likely or possible that they will close down in the next 5 years.

Impacting on quality of radio content Journalism in existing agricultural / business radio programmes

Advertising Expenditure in Nepal: small for the size of the economy NepalSri LankaUganda Ad expenditure ( ) $43.4 million$416.8 million$178.3 million Population31.0 million21.2 million35.6million GNI per capita$ 1,137$ 5,170$1,168 GDP- economy$ billion$ billion$ 20.03billion Ad Ex / GDP 0.23%0.70%0.89% Million US$ NepalSri LankaUganda

Advertising expenditure comparison Proportion of income Actual income to radio

Why is audience research important? A large and diverse media industry in Nepal ~ 370 radio stations ~28 TV stations ~ 400+ daily publications ~2000+ weekly publications Emerging media – internet, mobile phone channels etc. ? Advertisers/ communicators - Which media should I use to reach...? ? Media - How can I prove that I am better than the rest? uncertainty Lower advertising spend generally Lower advertising spend on local broadcasters in particular Inability for media to compete transparently Increased corruption in advertising markets

The winners and losers of this lack of transparency Mainly losersBut some winners The media overall (most media) Non-urban media (local media) Smaller media houses Broadcast media Advertisers / communicators National broadcasters Network broadcasters National print media (high circulation) Corrupt marketing staff /agencies Direct marketing

Samarth NMDP: rationale Income for the rural poor Need for information Need for advocacy platforms Media Development - Primary focus: local radio Lack of and poor quality of existing info channels Audience research Need to increase revenue to local radio to increase potential for improved programming Importance of radio to rural poor Demand for local information Need for mass information

Paul Haupt – Feasibility study into restarting audience research in Nepal