IRS Q4 2010: Top 10 Hindi Dailies

Except of Rajasthan Patrika, all the leading Hindi dailies in the country register considerable growth.

Rajat Arora | Delhi | March 14, 2011

The fourth quarter results of Indian Readership Survey 2010 are out and except of Rajasthan Patrika, all the leading Hindi dailies in the country have registered considerable growth in IRS Q4 2010. The fourth edition of IRS quarterly data also indicates a growth in overall readership of vernacular publications.

The No. 1 Hindi daily 'Dainik Jagran' has recorded growth by adding 1,16,000 readers in its AIR this quarter. The newspaper had added 25,000 readers in the third quarter of IRS 2010. The daily had lost 4 lakh readers in IRS Q2 2010. Its average issue readership now stands at 1,60,66,000 in the current survey which was 1,59,50,000 in IRS Q3 2010, 1,59,25,000 in Q2 2010 and 1.63 crore in Q1 2010. Thus, Dainik Jagran has lost nearly 2.47 lakh readers over the year.

At second spot, 'Dainik Bhaskar' has again registered a considerable growth and added 5,04,000 readers to its AIR in this quarter. It has registered the AIR of 1,39,92,000 in IRS Q4 2010 as compared to 1,34,88,000 in the previous quarter. Dainik Bhasker Group's flagship publication had gained 1.85 lakh readers in Q3 while it maintained the status quo in second quarter and added 4.5 lakh reader in first quarter of IRS 2010. Thus, Dainik Bhaskar has grown by 5% over the first quarter survey and added 6.63 lakh readers as compared to the Q1 2010.

Hindi daily 'Hindustan' has also maintained its high growth rates. The No.3 Hindi daily of the country has added 6.13 lakh readers in the current quarter. Further strengthening its position at No.3, its AIR now stands at 1,14,52,000 which was 1,08,39,000 in the previous quarter. The Hindi daily from Hindustan Media Ventures had added 6.96 lakh readers in IRS Q3 2010, 2 lakh in Q2 2010 and 5.78 lakh readers in IRS Q1 2010. Thus, riding on the expansion plans, the newspaper has added 15.38 lakh readers during this year.

The growth chart is continuing for the fourth largest Hindi daily of the country 'Amar Ujala' also where the newspaper has added 57,000 readers in the fourth quarter of IRS 2010. The AIR of Amar Ujala stands at 86,40,000 in IRS Q4 2010 as compared to 85,83,000 in IRS Q3 2010. The daily had added 1.66 lakh readers in Q3 but lost 74,000 in IRS Q2 2010.  Thus, Amar Ujala now has 1.49 lakh more readers in the fourth quarter as compared to IRS Q1 2010.

At No.5 position, Hindi daily 'Rajasthan Patrika' has registered a marginal decline of 51,000 readers in its AIR in the Q4 of IRS 2010. Its current AIR stands at 71,66,000 as compared to 72,17,000 in IRS Q3, 2010. The newspaper had added 3.17 lakh readers in the third quarter of 2010 and 2.15 lakh readers in IRS Q2 2010. The newspaper has over all grown by 7.2% over the first quarter and added 4.81 lakh readers during this year.

'Punjab Kesri' is holding the No. 6 position firmly by recovering its losses in previous quarter and added 60,000 readers in IRS Q4 2010. Its AIR now stands at 35.59 lakh as compared to 34.99 lakh in IRS Q3 2010. The newspaper had lost 62,000 readers in IRS Q3 2010. Punjab Kesri had added 35,000 readers in IRS Q2 2010 and 1 lakh readers in the first quarter.

At No.7, 'Navbharat Times' has also registered a marginal growth in its AIR in IRS Q4 2010. By adding 47,000 readers in this quarter, its AIR now stands at 25,79,000 as compared to 25,32,000 in IRS Q3 2010.

According to the average issue readership in fourth quarter of IRS 2010, Jharkhand's leading Hindi daily 'Prabhat Khabar' has jumped up to 8^th position with a little margine over Nai Dunia. The newspaper has added 2,14,000 readers in this quarter to take its AIR to 16,79,000 as compared to 14,65,000 in the previous quarter. The daily had acquired the 9^th spot in last quarter.

'Nai Dunia' has continued with its growth story and added 1,17,000 readers in IRS Q4 2010. Nai Dunia has registered AIR of 16.71 lakh in this survey as compared to 15.54 lakh in previous quarter.

At No.10 is “Nava Bharat” with an AIR of 15,92,000 in IRS Q4 2010 as compared to 17,88,000 in the previous quarter.

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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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