Magazines on the decline in India, says readership survey
24 Nov 2009
Conducted by Hansa Research for the Media Research User's Council, IRS is one of the largest readership surveys in India. Established in 1995, it now covers newspapers, internet usage and television viewers. The biannual survey judges the readership pattern of various publications, and is widely used by media planners for finalising the media strategy.
Going by this much-delayed round of IRS data, the print media is showing no signs of decline, even as many of its counterparts in the developed world have sunk without a trace during the recession.
Even famed publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Times of London are hanging on by the skin of their teeth.
In India, many categories in the print medium, such as Telugu (Andhra Pradesh) dailies and Malayalam (Kerala) weeklies and six-day dailies, have recorded double-digit growth.
"The universe of English dailies grew 1.16 per cent. Most periodicals (weeklies and monthlies) registered a drop in readership. English weeklies dropped 2 per cent, while Hindi weeklies declined by 4.7 per cent," says the survey.
In terms of total readership, 10 of the top 20 publications grew, while an equal number registered a drop in readership. Only two English newspapers feature in the overall top 20 daily publications: The Times of India and The Hindustan Times. While Dainik Jagran again tops the list in Hindi dailies, The Times of India retains the top spot in the English.
Explaining the growth of daily readership, vice-president of Hansa Research Sunil Nimbalkar said, "There's a lot action in the print media now. There are many new launches, and publications are spending money to popularise their products.
"Take the case of Sakshi, which was launched last year. This new product has garnered 45 per cent readership within a year. Also, many publications are undertaking readership or circulation drives in a big way."
On the impact of the survey findings on media budgets, Nimbalkar said print ad budgets will now increase as the readership has gone up. "With these survey findings, publications will get back part of the old revenues."
He did not explain the decline in the sales of periodicals; but the average reader might guess it is because of the soft editorial content in most Indian 'news magazines'. Long starved for facts (news channels remain banned on radio), Indians seem to prefer hard news over editorial opinions.
Papers flaunt figures
Never shy about blowing its own trumpet, The Times of India said in a front-page splash in its Mumbai edition: ''The readers have spoken, and the verdict is clear. The Times of India is the undisputed leader in Delhi.''
The paper further pointed out that the Times Group continues its dominance of Mumbai, with TOI the overwhelming No 1 among English dailies. The runner-up was another newspaper from the Times Group stable, Mumbai Mirror, with 7.99 lakh readers. The nearest competitor from outside the Times Group, DNA, has a readership less than half of TOI's, it said.
Not to be left behind in the selective use of data for self-promotion, DNA too front-paged a report saying it has consolidated its position among readers in Mumbai.
The Zee Group-promoted paper said its average issue readership (AIR) grew 1.5 per cent year-on-year compared to corresponding figures in 2008. This is largely because of DNA's loyal and growing reader base in the city of its birth, it claimed.
Putting its own spin on the data, DNA said that every other newspaper in the city saw its readership drop in the range of 4-9 per cent. While The Times of India lost 5.9 per cent of its AIR, Hindustan Times lost 4.4 per cent. The biggest losses were registered by two city tabloids, Mumbai Mirror, and Mid-Day. The two lost 8.5 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively.
It added that IRS 2009 round two also suggests that DNA is growing faster than the competition in the upmarket segments, much courted by advertisers. In SEC A (Socio-economic classification A), its readership is up 2.3 per cent year-on-year, against a drop of 11.9 per cent for The Times of India and 26.9 per cent for Hindustan Times.
Among male readers, DNA has registered a growth of 5.6 per cent while TOI has dropped 9.9 per cent, the paper said.
Much ado about nothing
But as an industry watcher put it, the IRS findings typically do not have any impact on the budget of the advertisers. The more significant figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), an older organisation which generally carries more dependable circulation figures.
A founder member of the non-profit International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulations since 1948, it comprises publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. Advertisers consider it the ultimate guide to circulation; and publishers have an old tendency of keeping its findings under wraps.
Going by this much-delayed round of IRS data, the print media is showing no signs of decline, even as many of its counterparts in the developed world have sunk without a trace during the recession.
Even famed publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Times of London are hanging on by the skin of their teeth.
In India, many categories in the print medium, such as Telugu (Andhra Pradesh) dailies and Malayalam (Kerala) weeklies and six-day dailies, have recorded double-digit growth.
"The universe of English dailies grew 1.16 per cent. Most periodicals (weeklies and monthlies) registered a drop in readership. English weeklies dropped 2 per cent, while Hindi weeklies declined by 4.7 per cent," says the survey.
In terms of total readership, 10 of the top 20 publications grew, while an equal number registered a drop in readership. Only two English newspapers feature in the overall top 20 daily publications: The Times of India and The Hindustan Times. While Dainik Jagran again tops the list in Hindi dailies, The Times of India retains the top spot in the English.
Explaining the growth of daily readership, vice-president of Hansa Research Sunil Nimbalkar said, "There's a lot action in the print media now. There are many new launches, and publications are spending money to popularise their products.
"Take the case of Sakshi, which was launched last year. This new product has garnered 45 per cent readership within a year. Also, many publications are undertaking readership or circulation drives in a big way."
On the impact of the survey findings on media budgets, Nimbalkar said print ad budgets will now increase as the readership has gone up. "With these survey findings, publications will get back part of the old revenues."
He did not explain the decline in the sales of periodicals; but the average reader might guess it is because of the soft editorial content in most Indian 'news magazines'. Long starved for facts (news channels remain banned on radio), Indians seem to prefer hard news over editorial opinions.
Papers flaunt figures
Never shy about blowing its own trumpet, The Times of India said in a front-page splash in its Mumbai edition: ''The readers have spoken, and the verdict is clear. The Times of India is the undisputed leader in Delhi.''
The paper further pointed out that the Times Group continues its dominance of Mumbai, with TOI the overwhelming No 1 among English dailies. The runner-up was another newspaper from the Times Group stable, Mumbai Mirror, with 7.99 lakh readers. The nearest competitor from outside the Times Group, DNA, has a readership less than half of TOI's, it said.
Not to be left behind in the selective use of data for self-promotion, DNA too front-paged a report saying it has consolidated its position among readers in Mumbai.
The Zee Group-promoted paper said its average issue readership (AIR) grew 1.5 per cent year-on-year compared to corresponding figures in 2008. This is largely because of DNA's loyal and growing reader base in the city of its birth, it claimed.
Putting its own spin on the data, DNA said that every other newspaper in the city saw its readership drop in the range of 4-9 per cent. While The Times of India lost 5.9 per cent of its AIR, Hindustan Times lost 4.4 per cent. The biggest losses were registered by two city tabloids, Mumbai Mirror, and Mid-Day. The two lost 8.5 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively.
It added that IRS 2009 round two also suggests that DNA is growing faster than the competition in the upmarket segments, much courted by advertisers. In SEC A (Socio-economic classification A), its readership is up 2.3 per cent year-on-year, against a drop of 11.9 per cent for The Times of India and 26.9 per cent for Hindustan Times.
Among male readers, DNA has registered a growth of 5.6 per cent while TOI has dropped 9.9 per cent, the paper said.
Much ado about nothing
But as an industry watcher put it, the IRS findings typically do not have any impact on the budget of the advertisers. The more significant figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), an older organisation which generally carries more dependable circulation figures.
A founder member of the non-profit International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulations since 1948, it comprises publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. Advertisers consider it the ultimate guide to circulation; and publishers have an old tendency of keeping its findings under wraps.