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IRS reports: Kolkata's English dailies have a huge market outside WB
In comparison, the Bengali dailies have more readership in West Bengal and Kolkata than in the markets outside the state
The West Bengal market has shown some interesting trends in the round 2 of IRS 2003-04 survey. While the Bengali publications are only restricted to West Bengal market, the English dailies have a vast market outside the state.
For instance, the total readership of The Telegraph's Kolkata edition is 10.24 lakhs. Of this, the readership in West Bengal is 7 lakhs, while the readership outside West Bengal is 3.24 lakhs. Within West Bengal, the readership of The Telegraph is 4.89 lakhs in the Kolkata market.
Similarly, the total readership of The Times Of India's Kolkata edition is 6.76 lakhs (ahead of Statesman). Its readership in West Bengal is only 2.18 lakhs and that of the Kolkata market is 1.92 lakhs. This indicates that The Times Of India's Kolkata edition has a bigger market outside West Bengal.
Apart from West Bengal, TOI Kolkata also caters to markets such as Bihar and Jharkhand where its readership is 1.84 lakhs and 1.46 lakhs, respectively, which is very close to the the readership of Kolkata and West Bengal markets.
The Statesman which is the second highest read English daily in West Bengal and Kolkata with a readership of 5.73 lakhs and 4.09 lakhs, respectively, has a total readership of 6.20 lakhs. This indicates the readership of The Statesman is only 47,000 more in the markets outside West Bengal.
Hindustan Times' Kolkata edition which has a readership of 1.33 lakhs in West Bengal and 1.08 lakhs in Kolkata has a total readership of 2.94 lakhs.
In comparison, the Bengali dailies have more readership in West Bengal and Kolkata than in the markets outside the state.
For instance, Ananda Bazar Patrika, which is the largest read publication in the West Bengal with a readership total 50.14 lakhs and 25.34 lakhs in West Bengal and Kolkata, respectively has a readership of 104,000 outside West Bengal.
Similarly, Bartaman which has a readership of 30.58 lakhs and 12.95 lakhs in West Bengal and Kolkata, respectively has a total readership of 30.76 lakhs which means that the readership outside West Bengal is only 18,000.
© 2004 agencyfaqs!