Ethiopia Media and Telecoms Landscape Guide - Infoasaid

112. Media overviewRadio is the main source of news and information in Ethiopia, especially in the ruralareas where 80% of the population lives.However, many people in the countryside simply rely on word of mouth, particularlywhat they hear at community meetings or through their local church or mosque.Television is the most popular source of information in the main cities.There are several newspapers, but their circulation is low and they are only availablein Addis Ababa and the main towns.Fewer than 1% of Ethiopians have access to the internet.The media are dominated by state radio and television.The government maintains tight control on news and information.News reports that are critical of the government are extremely rare.Journalists constantly practice self censorship to keep out of trouble with theauthorities.The state-run Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency (ERTA) runs Ethiopia’s onlynationwide radio and TV services.Its flagship radio station, Ethiopia Radio, reaches a potential audience of 45 millionpeople on medium wave – just over half the population - according to the ElectoralReform International Services (ERIS) Ethiopia Media Mapping Survey,www.eris.org.uk/images/userfiles/File/Ethiopia%20Media%20Mapping%202011%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf published in 2011.This report was produced by the UK-based NGO ERIS with funding from the Britishgovernment.Please note that this guide does not give actual audience figures for each radio andTV station. Reliable audience data for Ethiopia does not exist.The ERIS figures given for the potential audience of each broadcaster simply refer tothe size of population that lives within its coverage area.The ERTA national TV channel Ethiopian Television broadcasts from transmittersin 27 towns and cities across the country. It claims to reach a potential audience of25 million.However, television is essentially an urban phenomenon in Ethiopia. Most peoplewho live in the countryside are too poor to afford a TV set.