Vaarttha launches three new editions; touches 19

On the occasion of Women's Day, that is, March 8, Vaarttha, the No 2 daily in Andhra Pradesh, launched three new editions from Guntur, Srikakulam and Tadepalliguddam - located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal - taking its total tally to 19 editions. The objective, as chief executive officer of Vaarttha, KRK Prasad states, is to increase its spread in the region and cater to every district.

Archrival Eenadu has 12 parent editions and 11 satellite editions with district-wise editions numbering 30 in all. Vaarttha, on the other hand, has 27 district-wise editions, with plans to launch four metro editions in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore.

Alongside, the newspaper house promoted by the Sanghi Group is looking to launch a 24-hour Telugu news channel, though plans have yet to be crystallised, says Prasad. Readership of Vaarttha, according to the IRS 2003, is 50.44 lakh, while Eenadu is way ahead with a readership of 94 lakh.

Both papers are priced at the same level, that is, Rs 3 on weekdays and Rs 3.50 on Sundays, with a notable characteristic being the sheer size of an average issue. Each paper is divided into three parts - the main edition, supplement and a tabloid-sized district edition. For both Vaarttha and Eenadu, the main edition comprises 12 pages and is common to all the editions. The supplement, on the other hand, varies, with six pages set aside by Vaarttha (on Sundays it increases to eight pages), while Eenadu has four colour pages, which is described as the "special pages".

The district-wise edition is unique to readers of Andhra Pradesh with both media houses publishing a tabloid-sized, 24-page issue that goes with the main paper and covers the region in question. To put things in perspective, Andhra Pradesh is made up of 23 districts spread across three regions - Rayalaseema, Telangana and the coastal areas called Andhra.

Located towards the north, bordering the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, Telangana is one of the most important regions of Andhra Pradesh with the capital city of Hyderabad situated here. Apart from Hyderabad, the other districts that comprise Telangana include Mahaboobnagar, Nalgonda, Medak, Rangareddy, Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar, Adilabad and Nizamabad.

Rayalaseema, located towards the south and bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, consists of the districts of Prakasam, Chittor, Nellore, Kurnool, Cuddapah and Anantapur, while the coastal areas of Andhra are made up of Krishna, Guntur, East and West Godavari, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Vishakapatnam, and is considered to be the richest region of the lot.

The total population of Andhra Pradesh, according to the 2001 Census, is 76.21 million -a jump of 9.7 million from the previous figure of 66.50 million in 1991.

Agriculture is one of the most important areas of activity in Andhra Pradesh, though industries such as pharmaceuticals, shipping, chemicals, cement, fertilizers, heavy electrical equipment, and of late, information technology, contribute significantly to its economy as well.

The entertainment industry is well entrenched in Andhra Pradesh with the Telegu film industry giving its Tamil counterpart a run for its money in every possible way. The state, however, has been grappling with the Naxalite problem for over two decades now, with armed insurgency and guerrilla-style attacks on government officers, police forces and politicians, fairly common.

Prasad maintains that the print sector in the state remains unaffected by Naxalite activity, with individual groups looking for media support for their cause. "Naxals do not interfere with the papers," he says. "In fact, they look to the media to ventilate their views," he adds.

With the group churning out 19 editions on a daily basis, the day-to-day investment amounts to Rs 20-25 lakh, with newsprint consumption amounting to 2,000 metric tonnes per month and 7,000 agents hawking the editions.

Plans of the group include consolidating its position as a major media player in the region and converting its No 2 position to that of No 1. "We stepped into the print sector in 1996 and since then have made giant strides," says Prasad. "The ultimate aim is to be No 1, which we are working at," he adds. © 2004 agencyfaqs!