Media Consumption
As was the case elsewhere in the world, the first mass media to reach the population of Vice-Royal Peru was the newspaper. The pioneers, the Diario de Lima and Mercurio Peruano, to name the most important, date back to the 17th century. Radio and television broadcasting began in Peru in the first half of the 20th century (Radio Nacional del Perú, launched over the private station Lima OAX-AM) followed by the premier in 1958 of the state Channel 7 and the first commercial channel, today known as América Televisión. Nearly 40 years later, following the arrival of the Internet, digital versions of magazines and newspapers were created. One of the earliest to be released online, was Caretas, in 1995.
Since then, media circulation figures have been a continuing concern for the media industry and the advertising market. Some interesting information about the audience for the print media, radio, television and Internet according to different information sources includes the following.
TV: A study commissioned by the Radio and Television Consultative Council (ConcorTv) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications indicates that television has the highest level of consumption in the country, reaching 100% in cities in the north east of the country. The same report indicates that the television is the most common appliance in Peruvian homes after the stove.
Radio: A 2015 report by the market research company CPI indicates that radio reaches 91.3% of Peruvians. and 93.4% of people in urban areas.
Internet: According to a study undertaken by the consulting company Ipsos Apoyo, there are more than 12 million Internet users in Peru. This figure places Peru in fifth place for Internet consumption in South America, after Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela. CFK, another market research company, put the figure at 42% of the population.
Print: Estimates for print media, prepared by the Peruvian Association of Journalism Companies (SEPP), indicate that more than 5 million people read newspapers belonging to the El Comercio, La Republica and other publishing groups at local and national level.
The statistics make clear that mass consumption of information from the media continues to be important in the construction of personal identity and the shaping of public opinion.