Radio
Radio is the second highest consumed media in Libya but the country does not have a national radio network, due to infrastructure and the current political division between the two warring governments in the East and West of Libya. Cities have several public and private local radio stations. For example Libyana Hits in Benghazi offers more tailored and localised programs. Some discuss local events and upcoming events around the city, others discuss traffic jams and update passengers on the best routes to take.
Tripoli has more than 20 local radio stations, some already struggling financially due to lack of government subsidies. The majority are privately owned stations that rely on advertisement. According to Altai Consultancy (2013) as many as 77 percent of Libyans say they only listen to Libyan radio, while just 2 percent have expressed a preference for international radio stations broadcasting on AM or FM. The stations on FM were taken off air in many parts of the country. There are also others who tune to international radio only from time to time, in order to get more reliable news when sceptical of what they hear on Libyan radio stations.
The Libyan authority that owns and operates the state media, Libyan Radio and Television Corporation (LRTC) has three main stations that air in Tripoli: Al-Wataniya, Radio Libya FM and the youth oriented Al-Shababiya.
The most popular radio station in Tripoli is Tripoli FM while in Benghazi it’s Libyana Hits, both stations broadcast international music and entertainment programmes. Instead other radio stations owned by local authorities and municipalities offers a wide variety of social, religious and political programmes, which are particularly popular with older Libyans. Local stations such as Benghazi FM or Tripoli FM have talk shows on health, religion and even social issues like marriage and cooking. These are popular among older generations who own radio sets at home and tune in to listen to shows from time to time.
Although most stations broadcast in Arabic, Lebda FM is known for having programmes in Amazigh language, which is the native language of the indigenous inhabitants living in some western parts of the country. There are also a dozen of stations across the country that focus on religious programmes and air Quran, which appeal more to religious and conservative people. But these channels differ from one part of the country to another: the radio stations in the East are dominated mostly by Salafists and the West and Central parts of the country are dominated by Jihadist groups who use them to deliver their sermons and their views.