Radio remains Uganda’s most widely accessed and democratic medium, reaching 82 percent of the population over the past seven days, according to new audience data released by East Africa Radio Advertising Services (EARS).
The findings, based on a survey of 22,059 respondents, were unveiled under the theme “The Great Equalizer: Radio is the Most Democratic Medium” during EARS’ seventh anniversary celebrations.
According to the data, radio enjoys its strongest audience among men aged 35 years and above, people in lower socio-economic groups (LSI 1-3), residents of rural areas, and communities in the Eastern, Northern and Western regions of Uganda.
The survey also found that radio continues to attract younger audiences, particularly men aged 18 to 34, people under 30 years, urban residents, and listeners in the Central region within the LSI 4-6 income category.
The report further shows that 56 percent of radio listening takes place on weekdays, translating into an estimated 10.3 million listeners, while audience reach stands at 48 percent on Saturdays and 47 percent on Sundays.
The figures underscore radio’s continued dominance despite increasing competition from digital media platforms.
Industry players said the findings demonstrate that radio remains the most effective medium for reaching audiences across Uganda, particularly in rural communities where internet access and smartphone penetration remain relatively low.
They argued that the audience data should reassure advertisers that radio continues to offer the broadest national reach across different age groups, income levels and regions, making it a critical platform for public information campaigns and commercial advertising.
The survey was released at a time when local broadcasters are calling for increased investment in Uganda’s radio industry amid declining advertising revenues and growing competition from global technology platform.
