Survey: CNN Is Top Intl. News Brand in Africa

Reached 71% of respondents across TV and digital platforms each month according to new EMS Africa survey

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/19/2012 7:33:59 PM

The release of the new EMS Africa survey, which widely used as a measure of viewing among affluent audiences in the region, shows that CNN has remained the top international news brand in the region.

About 70.3% of the respondents reported that they accessed CNN's content at least once a month on TV, online or mobile, higher than BBC World News (55.4%), Al Jazeera (46.7%), Sky News (43.4%) and Euronews (31.1%), according to results from the survey released by CNN.

The survey was conducted between December 2011 and February 2012, in 7 markets in the continent -- South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana and Uganda-and represents viewing habits of pan-regional channels among 3.3 million working adults with incomes in the top 13% of population.

In television, CNN had a monthly reach of 64.7% among affluent viewers, ahead of the BBC World News (50.2%), Al Jazeera English (30.5%), Sky News (28.0%) and CNBC Africa (9.1%).

On a daily basis, 29.2% of the respondents watched CNN on TV, followed by BBC World News (17.7%), Al Jazeera English (15.3%), Sky News (9.8%) and CNBC Africa (3.1%).

On mobile, CNN's websites had a monthly reach of 17.4%, followed by Al Jazeera English (7.1%) and BBC.com (6.9%).

On mobile, CNN also held the number one spot, reaching 15.8% of respondents each month, followed by BBC (10.8%), Al Jazeera English (6.2%) and Sky News (5.2%).

The results were another sign that while CNN continues to struggle in the ratings domestically, its international operations remain strong, with growing viewership in this year's EMS Africa survey compared to last year.

In addition to the African results, CNN had earlier ranked as the top international news channel in the EMS 2012 surveys of affluent viewers in Europe and the Middle East and was the top international news channel in the Asia Pacific region, according to a separate PAX survey.

"To reach almost a third of EMS respondents every day -- far eclipsing all our rivals -- is an achievement we're proud of," noted Tony Maddox, executive VP and managing director of CNN International in a statement. "For CNN to grow its audience in an increasingly crowded marketplace puts a tangible marker of appreciation on our journalism. The reach of our brand in Africa has never been stronger and we thank our viewers for their loyalty,"

One reason for the success, Maddox added, was the fact that CNN has "been producing Africa-focused programming for many years now."