IRS 2012 Q4: Cumulative readership of top 10 language, English and Hindi dailies see decline

MRUC has released the findings from IRS 2012 Q4. The cumulative readership (Average Issue Readership) of top 10 Hindi dailies has declined by 6.12 per cent, top 10 English dailies 4.75 per cent, and top 10 Hindi dailies a marginal decline of 0.54 per cent. Top 10 magazines have registered a cumulative decline of 30.15 per cent.

Top 10 dailies

Seven out of top 10 dailies have witnessed a drop in readership in Q4. Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar continue to lead on readership, followed by Hindustan. Hindustan bucked the trend gaining 4,000 readers from IRS Q3, while Malayala Manorama gained 8,000 to close at an AIR of 97,60,000 readers. The other publication in the top 10 to gain readers (19,000) was Rajasthan Patrika, at number nine.

Top 10 Hindi dailies

Nai Dunia registered the largest drop in readership (by 1,95,000) among top 10 Hindi dailies in the current round of IRS. Publications that registered growth in 2012 Q4 include Prabhat Khabar, which saw an increase in its readership by 98,000. Patrika too registered a growth of 17,000 readers in IRS Q4.

Top 10 English dailies

The pecking order of the top 10 English dailies remains the same at the end of IRS Q4. Five out of the top 10 have seen growth in readership this quarter.

The Hindu, placed at number three, has seen the maximum decline among the top 10 English dailies, a drop of  94,000 from IRS Q3. The Times of India, which continues to lead the list of top 10 English dailies, dropped 38,000 readers. Hindustan Times, placed at number two, added 34,000 readers.

Other publications that registered growth in Q4 are: The Telegraph, DNA, Mumbai Mirror and The Tribune.

Top 10 language dailies

Malayala Manorama continues to lead among language dailies. Placed at number two, Daily Thanthi, has witnessed a decline of 83,000. Lokmat, which is placed at number three, also registered a loss of 96,000 readers.

Top 10 magazines

Seven out of top 10 magazines have shown declining figures in Q4 of IRS 2012.

Top 10 English magazines

India Today continues to lead the list of top 10 English Magazines. All but one magazine (Pratiyogita Darpan) saw a decline in readership in the most recent round of the Indian readership survey.