TV Use Overtakes Radio in Afghanistan

Research data from the Broadcasting Board of Governors and Gallup shows that the media market in Afghanistan is primarily split between radio and television.

While Afghanistan remains one of the few media markets in which shortwave radio use is still in the double digits, presenters at a research briefing showed that TV use is overtaking radio for the first time in the country. “Viewership rates are particularly high in the northern part of Afghanistan, where the electricity supply is more reliable, and drop off in the south where we see more Taliban activity,” said Paul Tibbitts, Director of Market Insight and Evaluation at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. TV usage has nearly doubled since 2008, with current weekly viewership at 64 percent of the total population.