For the first time, the latest Geopoll survey has rated Royal Media Services' Inooro FM a distant second behind the Mediamax Network rival, Kameme FM.
Previous surveys by various reputable opinion poll companies have always put the two Kikuyu radio stations behind each other but not any more.
A recent radio listenership ratings survey conducted by the revered multinational polls company puts Kameme FM at number seven overall with Inooro FM rated a distant second at number 12, overall radio listenership across Kenya.
In fact, the only time that Inooro FM beats Kameme FM is during the 8 pm to 12 midnight time band and this one is for good reasons like the seriousness of Inooro FM's 'Keera' show hosted by Nderitu Wa Waihura and Professor Ngugi Njoroge.
This show, for starters, gives you the deepest, intellectualistic analysis of day-to-day Kikuyu and national politics. But why this dismal performance by Inooro FM, a radio station that since inception, has been a wave across Central Kenya and beyond?
This writer has spoken to a number of current Inooro FM radio presenters, following the survey, whom we can't name for obvious reasons and who have admitted that the station's plummeting ratings has been occasioned by a number of factors.
1. Poor programming strategy
While Kameme FM has invested heavily on on-air talents which have seen the Kikuyu mother radio introduce popular comedians on every Weekday show, Inooro FM remains inadequate.
"I am not surprised that Kameme FM is far much ahead of us. Poor programming strategy is the cause of it all. Kameme FM has popular refined comedians who rhyme so well with Gikuyu audience that Inooro FM, at the moment, can only dream of," one of Inooro FM's presenters says.
2. Misplacement of presenters
The Geopoll Survey shows that the only other Inooro FM radio programme that comes close to beating Kameme FM rival shows, is 'Hagaria' (Inooro FM's breakfast 6am-10am show) currently being hosted by the multi-talented Jeff Kuria and Nyoxx Wa Katta.
During the four-hour time band, Geopoll statistics indicate, 244,000 people are listening at Kameme FM while 206,000 are tuned to Inooro FM.
After speaking to a number of Kikuyu radio experts, this small gap can be narrowed down if Inooro FM can have Jeff Kuria and Waithera Muithirania in the morning show and Nyoxx Wa Katta, who anyway made a name during Coro FM's drive show (Kumiria) can be put together with the fake 'Akorino' comedian, Karwimbo.
3. Dynamism
Inooro FM is one 'static' station, yet another Inooro FM presenter asserts, which has refused to evolve despite changing times.
"We cannot have a chain of non-innovative presenters whom because they gave the station a sumptuous headway, they remain almost indispensable! Radio is dynamic. Personally, I do not want to be on the airwaves forever to a point of getting irrelevant. I believe that there comes a time that one has to close shop and analyze the day's business performance," says the presenter.
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