IRS Q2 2010: Complete Analysis On Hindi Magazines

Saras Salil in heavy loss; Grih Shobha and Champak makes firm entry into top 10 list.

Rajat Arora | Delhi | August 24, 2010

Like English magazines, Hindi magazines have also registered slight decline in readers base in second quarter of this year's IRS. The top 10 list of Hindi magazines in the country has seen some new entrants like Grih Shobha and Champak.

The average issue readership (AIR) data of latest Indian Readership Survey (IRS) has shown country's No.1 Hindi fortnightly magazine 'Saras Salil' losing its ground rapidly. By losing 1.64 lakh reader in just 3 months, it has recorded and AIR of 20.45 lakh in IRS Q2 2010 as compared to 22.09 lakh in last survey. The No.1 Hindi magazine had recorded growth in first quarter of IRS 2010 by adding 45,000 readers.

At 2nd position, Educational Hindi Monthly magazine 'Pratiyogita Darpan' has registered growth in this quarter and has added 61,000 readers. Its current AIR stands at 18.03 lakh as compared to 17.42 lakh in IRS Q1 2010.

Hindi weekly 'India Today' has also lost 10,000 readers but retained its 3rd spot in the country. It has registered AIR of 13.01 lakh in current survey as compared to 13.11 lakh in IRS Q1 2010.

The Hindi monthly magazine 'Meri Saheli' has managed to retain its readers and 4^th spot as well. It has lost just 2,000 readers in this quarter with an AIR of 12.65 lakh in current survey.

Hindi fortnightly magazine 'Grih Shobha' has made an excellent entry into the top 10 list of Hindi magazines in the country. Acquiring 5^th spot, it has recorded an AIR of 11.81 lakh in the second quarter of IRS 2010.

At No. 6 is Monthly magazine 'Grih Lakshmi' which has also registered growth and added 27,000 readers in the current survey. Its AIR now stands at 11.60 lakh as  compared to 11.33 lakh in IRS Q1 2010.

India's premier Hindi sports magazine 'Cricket Samrat' has lost more than 1 lakh readersin the second quarter of IRS 2010. Its current AIR stands at 10.87 lakh as compared to 11.94 lakh in IRS Q1 2010.

Kid's favorite fortnightly magazine 'Champak' has entered into the top 10 list of Hindi magazines in the country. Acquiring 8^th spot, it has recorded an AIR of 8.48 lakh in the second quarter of IRS 2010.

Health magazine 'Nirogdham' has registered decline in this quarter by losing 26,000readers in the current survey. Quarterly magazine has recorded an AIR of 8.43 lakh as compared to 8.69 lakh in IRS Q1 2010.

At No.10 position is monthly magazine 'Vanitha' with AIR of 7.02 lakh in the second quarter of IRS 2010.

Average Issue Readership (AIR) of a publication is defined as the number of readers of that publication who have claimed to have last read it within periodicity – i.e. last read a daily yesterday, a weekly within the last week, a monthly within the last month, etc.

This measure is considered to be a more relevant measure of 'real' or 'regular' readership, especially for newspapers, most of which have been read / 'consumed' as matter of daily habit. Conventionally, media planners even calculate & compare cost-benefits of dailies based on the AIR figure. And hence it is perhaps most relevant to study readership trends as well in terms of AIR.

Rajat.Arora@BestMediaInfo.com

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