A recent survey shows that despite the high mobile phone and technology penetration in the country, a majority of the population is still dependent on TV for information such as news and entertainment.
The Kenya Media Establishment Survey 2022 released by IPSOS shows that TV ownership in the country increased from 32% to 53% since the last such survey conducted in 2015.
After the country's digital migration in June 2015, more Kenyans have since embraced digital TV ownership - which is facilitated by the increase in internet availability in the country. The move to adopt digital TV has pushed Pay Set-Top Boxes (STB) ownership from 10% to 28%.
The Communication Authority of Kenya in 2017 noted that the number of Kenyans owning a TV set had increased from 3.5 million to 4.3 million after the digital migration and the number continues to grow annually.
Internet use in the country has also tripled since the last survey from 13% to 46%. In 2022, internet services in Kenya were ranked as one of the best in the East African region by an American Firm, Internet Society.
The government - through the Last Mile Electricity Program - has made it possible for more parts of the country to access electricity, hence boosting the number of TV sets being purchased.
Prior to the last mile connectivity and the low rate of electricity penetration in the country, the majority of the population especially in rural areas relied on radio for news, and entertainment.
As opposed to the old TV set designs, modern TV sets are more appealing to the eye and have additional features such as browsing capabilities. They are also light and easily portable.
Technological advancement in the 21st century has made TV sets a multipurpose tool with features on smart TVs allowing one to link multiple devices to their TV set.
Linking devices to the television gives viewers an unending list of programs to enjoy. A TV in a Kenyan home is still considered a source of pride and Kenyans are always looking to acquire the latest and largest screens.
The survey also noted that Kenyans are also supplementing mobile media consumption with TV media consumption. Interchanging digital media and television pushes more Kenyans to acquire a TV set.
The modern TV set is more fragile as compared to vintage TV sets hence forcing Kenyans to replace them once in a while if they break down.
