Q4, IRS 2012: Top 10 publications maintain status quo

Apart from Hindustan, Malayala Manorama and Rajasthan Patrika, all other publications in the top 10 list have recorded declines in AIR this quarter.

The latest quarter report of IRS (Q4, IRS 2012) suggests that most of the top 10 publications are on a downward trend since Q2, 2012. The only publications to have added average issue readership during this period are Rajasthan Patrika, Malayala Manorama and Hindustan. However, the ranking remains similar to the last quarter.

Dainik Jagran, the No. 1 publication of the country, has registered the biggest loss this quarter (Q4, IRS 2012). The Hindi publication has lost more than one lakh readers this time. Dainik Jagran has an average issue readership (AIR) of 1.64 crore. Interestingly, the newspaper was the second biggest gainer among the top 10 publications last quarter -- an increase of 45,000 readers in Q3, IRS 2012.

The No. 2 position is taken up by Dainik Bhaskar, with an AIR of 1.44 crore, the publication too has lost AIR this quarter - a loss of 75,000 readers since Q3, 2012. Like Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, too, was among the top three publications to have registered a growth last quarter - an increase of 43,000 in AIR in Q3, 2012.

Placed at No. 3 is Hindustan, with an AIR of 1.22 crore this quarter. The Hindi daily was the biggest gainer of Q2, 2012. While it had registered an increase of 48,000 readers at that time, it added 37,000 AIR in Q3, 2012 as well, and in this quarter too, the publication has added a marginal readership of 4,000.

The No. 4 spot is taken up by Malayala Manorama, which has also added readers this time. The Malayalam newspaper has an AIR of 97.6 lakh, a marginal increase of 8,000 readers this quarter. The newspaper had registered an increase of 42,000 readers since Q2, 2012.

Amar Ujala is at No. 5, with an AIR of 84 lakh. The daily is the second biggest loser this time - a decrease of more than one lakh readers since Q3, 2012. The Hindi publication registered de-growth of 85,000 readers in Q2, 2012 and 72,000 readers in Q3, 2012.

The Times of India takes the No. 6 position, with an AIR of 76 lakh this quarter. The English daily has lost marginally this time - a decline of 38,000 average readers. The publication has been on a see-saw in 2012 - while it added 10,000 readers in Q3, 2012, it registered a marginal decline of 9,000 readers in Q2, 2012.

The No. 7 position is taken up by a Tamil daily, Daily Thanthi, with an AIR of 73 lakh in the current quarter. The daily has lost nearly one lakh readers since Q2, 2012.

The Marathi publication Lokmat has emerged as the biggest loser since Q2, 2012. The daily has lost 1.94 lakh average readers since Q2, 2012. It has an AIR of 73 lakh this quarter. At No. 8, the publication had recorded a fall of 98,000 in AIR last quarter, making it the biggest loser of Q3, 2012.

The No. 9 position is taken by Rajasthan Patrika with an AIR of 68 lakh. The Hindi publication is the biggest gainer this quarter as well; however, the gain is marginal this quarter-an increase of 19,000 readers in Q4, 2012. Last quarter, the publication had registered a gain of 62,000 readers.

Mathrubhumi takes up the No. 10 position with an AIR of 63 lakh, registering a decline of 81,000 readers this time. The daily continues its losing spree and is the second biggest loser since Q2, 2012. The Malayalam publication has lost 1.59 lakh average readers in the last quarter.

(Total readership includes any reader who has read any of the last six issues; whereas average issue readership includes only readers who have read the last issue.)