IRS Q4 2019: Print readership declines while TV and digital grow

The trends in the fourth quarter echo what happened during the first three quarters as print continues to degrow while television, internet and radio grew.

 

IRS 2019 Q4 is a rolling average of four quarters of IRS 2019 data i.e. Q1+Q2+Q3 and Q4 2019, the fieldwork (Q4) of which covers from December 2019 through March 2020. The sample size of IRS 2019 is 3.27 lakh households across India out of which urban sample size is 2,14,000 households and rural is 1,13,000 households. 

 

Across India, 36 per cent of the respondents read a newspaper in the last one month (down from 38 per cent in Q3). In urban the number stood at 50 per cent (down from 51  per cent), while in rural the number was 29 per cent (down from 30). The story was similar for magazines as eight per cent of the respondents read a magazine in the last one month (versus nine per cent in Q3) in urban India. In rural India, the number falls to 3 per cent (same as Q3).

 

Television views remained the same, as 76 per cent of the respondents saw the medium in the last one month. 88 per cent of the urban respondents saw television in the last one month, while 70 per cent from rural saw the medium.   

 

 

Internet continues to surge in India. 55 per cent of urban India accessed the internet in the last one month (up from 49 per cent). In rural India, 33 per cent (up from 27 per cent) accessed the internet.  

 

Radio maintained its audience. 20 per cent of the respondents across India tuned into radio in Q4 (same as Q3). There was a slight rise in tune ins from urban (30 per cent versus 29 in Q3), with a slight fall in rural (15 per cent in Q4 versus 16 per cent in Q3.)

 

Total media consumption is the same in Q4 and Q3. Urban saw a dip of 1 per cent but rural compensated with a rise of 1 per cent.

 

English reading ability has increased across India in Q4, to 30 per cent of the respondents. This was at 29 per cent in Q3. The number was at 26 per cent at the start of 2019.

 

 

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Pratap Pawar, chairman, MRUC India, and chairman, Sakal Media, said, “We have successfully completed and released all four quarters of IRS 2019 data. I thank our board of governors and IRS technical committee for their unwavering commitment and their resolve in providing the industry with a robust, reliable and timely research study.”

 

Vikram Sakhuja, IRS Technical Committee, chairman and group CEO, Madison Media and OOH, Madison World, said, “With four Quarters of 2019 data now complete we are reporting a complete year’s picture. Earlier quarters had also included some part of 2017 data. A few trends are emerging. Internet penetration has increased substantially and is now mainstream along with TV and Print; NCCS D&E are reducing quarter on quarter faster than HH socio economic status thereby suggesting the need to relook at the NCCS definition; ability to read and understand English has increased and while overall print readership is holding, daily readership has started showing signs of decline.”