IRS Q4 2010: Top 10 Dailies In Tamil Nadu

All the top 10 dailies in the state lose readers in 2010..

Rajat Arora | Delhi | March 16, 2011

The fourth quarter results of Indian Readership Survey in 2010 have been very disappointing for most of the top publications in Tamil Nadu while all the top 10 dailies in the state have lost ground over the year.

The largest read daily of Tamil Nadu 'Daily Thanthi' has seen a considerable decline once again in this quarter. By losing 4.1% readership, the Tamil daily has registered an AIR of 67.96 lakh in IRS Q4 2010 as compared to 70.84 lakh in the previous quarter. Daily Thanthi had lost 1.79 lakh readers in Q3 while it had added 68,000 readers in Q2. The daily has seen an overall decline of 5.5% over the year.

The No.2 daily of the state 'Dinakaran' has registered a marginal increase in its average issue readership (AIR) in the last quarter of IRS 2010. Its current AIR stands at 48.25 lakh as compared to 48.09 lakh in the previous quarter. The daily had lost 1.82 lakh readers in Q3 and 1.5 lakh readers in Q2. Thus, the readership of Dinakaran has declined by 6.1% in the state over the year.

The 3^rd major player in Tamil Nadu, 'Dinamalar' has also registered a loss of 5.5% in the fourth quarter of IRS 2010. Its current AIR stands at 25.13 lakh as compared to 26.6 lakh in IRS Q3 2010. The paper had lost 2 lakh readers Q3 and 1.24 lakh readers in Q2. The readership of Dinamalar has fallen by 15.8% during 2010.

Tamil Nadu as strong hold for 'The Hindu' has not been a fertile ground for the daily in the state this year where it has lost its readers in every quarter. By losing 29,000 readers, its AIR now stands at 10.85 lakh as compared to 11.11 lakh in IRS Q3 2010. The paper had lost 20,000 readers in Q3 and 23,000 in Q2. The Hindu has seen an overall decline of 6.2% over the year.

The No.5 daily of Tamil Nadu 'Malai Malar' has continued losing its average issue readership throughout the year. The newspaper has recorded an AIR of 4.28 lakh as compared to 5.06 in Q3, 5.56 in Q2 and 6.06 in Q1.

At No.6 'Dinamani' has also lost 13.3% readers in IRS Q4 2010. It has recorded an AIR of 3.98 lakh as compared to 4.59 lakh in the last survey findings. It had lost 53,000 readers in Q3 and 24,000 readers in IRS Q2 2010.

'Deccan Chronicle' remains at 7^th spot in the state with an AIR of 2.24 lakh as compared to 2.15 lakh in IRS Q3 2010. It had lost 35,000 readers in Q3 and 20,000 readers in Q2.

As No.8 daily in Tamil Nadu, 'The Times of India' has an AIR of 2.11 lakh readers as compared to 2.04 lakh in Q3, 2.21 lakh in Q2 and 2.20 lakh in Q1.

Climbing up a position at No.9 is 'The New Indian Express' which has recovered its losses in Q3. Its current AIR stands at 1.1 lakh as compared to 95,000 in Q3, 1.08 lakh in Q2 and 1.12 in Q1.

'Tamizh Murasu' has an AIR of 97,000 in IRS Q4 2010 as compared to 1.42 lakh in Q3. The newspaper has now No.10 position in Tamil Nadu.

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About methodology

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 its 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.

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