ZEE-Bhaskar will launch English daily in Mumbai by Aug-Sept ‘05

Daily News & Analysis or DNA – the much-in-news print product from the ZEE-Bhaskar combine – is readying for launch by August-September 2005.

The partners have already kicked off a pre-launch survey covering a staggering 11-lakh households in Mumbai; the survey will stretch through April/May.

“At the moment,” says Suresh Balakrishnan, director, sales & marketing, DNA, “the focus of the combine is on the research that we have commenced in the city.”

A pre-launch survey, for the uninitiated, is a hallmark of the Bhaskar group. “By mid-May, we will get a fix on what people want or don’t want,” says Balakrishnan.

The newspaper will be eventually rolled out between August 15 and September 15, 2005, and it is likely to cover all subjects relevant to a general interest newspaper, including politics, crime, entertainment and business.

The positioning of the paper as well as the duration of the now-famous outdoor campaign is something that Balakrishnan will not comment on at the moment. “The positioning will be clear once we complete the research. We are still debating on how long the campaign should continue,” he says.

Respondents to the survey will no doubt easily recall DNA, given the controversies associated with the daily’s teaser campaign, which was famously “hijacked” by rivals Bennett, Coleman & Co. (BCCL) and The Indian Express group.

Diligent Media, the ZEE-Bhaskar joint venture, has of course dragged BCCL to court for “copyright infringement”, and even sent a legal notice to The Indian Express group. Subsequently, BCCL gave an undertaking to the courts that it would not “hijack” the campaign, while a reply from The Indian Express group was still awaited.

If not anything else, the entire episode including the very conspicuous hoarding campaign from Diligent, which still dots the Mumbai landscape, has ensured that DNA remains in the consciousness of people in the city including that of planners, buyers and lay consumers.

Hindustan Times and BCCL, meanwhile, are also launching local editions. While BCCL is launching a newspaper called Bombay Mirror (and not Independent News as was widely reported earlier) which is expected to hit the stands by May, HT has set a July date for its Mumbai launch.

Recruitments for the two newspapers (Bombay Mirror and HT) are on in full swing, while DNA is picking up pace on that front. It has, for the record, hired Ayaz Memon, national sports editor of The Times of India and an old Mid-Day (the Mumbai eveninger) hand as a member of the editorial board. Memon is currently serving his notice period, and more senior editorial personnel are likely to join DNA shortly.

Clearly with the action hotting up, the ensuing media war that will commence – when the newspapers are launched – will be fierce. The total print media advertising emanating from Mumbai is estimated to be in the region of Rs 2,200 crore. Of this, city-based print publications (newspapers and magazines) alone carry ads worth Rs 1,200 crore, say analysts. The balance advertising goes to publications outside the city. “So, the potential is clearly huge for papers who step in,” says a senior media observer based in Mumbai.

Also, the market is likely to grow with more players in the fray. From a cumulative current circulation of about 7 lakhs across all general interest English papers in Mumbai, it is estimated that the market for English papers could jump to 12 lakhs with the launch of more full-fledged editions.

“In terms of circulation of English-language papers, Delhi stands at 16 lakhs. Of which, HT and TOI alone contribute a whopping 13 lakh,” says Balakrishnan. So, the potential for growth is huge. Also, according to some estimates, Mumbai has a bigger English-speaking population vis-à-vis the Capital.

Heady days are indeed here for the print world. And, as the action unfolds, we will keep you posted. © 2005 agencyfaqs!