IRS 2010 Q3: Language dailies grow in Andhra Pradesh

This quarter has been good for language publications in Andhra Pradesh. Unlike the last quarter, when Telugu dailies recorded a loss of 1.04 lakh readers; the language dailies have shown a growth in total readership of 6.57 lakh in IRS 2010 Q3. Telugu dailies thus have a total readership of 2.29 crore.

English dailies, which were the gainers in the previous quarter, have registered a marginal loss of 67,000 readers this time. They have a total readership of 24.51 lakh in the state.

Despite its slow growth this time, Eenadu still holds the numero uno position in AP. The Telugu daily has a total readership of 1.48 crore in the latest quarter, and has added 3.16 lakh readers in the last six months. However, the No. 1 newspaper of the state seems to be losing its footing in the state capital, where it has lost 78,000 readers since IRS 2009 R2.

Eenadu's loss has been Saakshi's gain, as the daily has added 76,000 readers in Hyderabad during the same period. The other centres where Eenadu has taken a beating are Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, where it has lost 57,000 and 32,000 readers, respectively. In Guntur, Warangal and the rest of AP, Eenadu has gained about 6.5 lakh readers in this period.

The No. 2 daily of the state, Saakshi has a total readership of 1.35 crore, a gain of about 3.94 lakh in the last three quarters. It has gained 7.37 lakh readers since IRS 2009 R2, the maximum by any daily in the rest of Andhra Pradesh in this period. In Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Guntur, the daily has added 76,000, 29,000 and 40,000 readers, respectively in the period. However, it has lost about 15,000 readers in Warangal and 2,000 in Vijayawada.

At No. 3 in the state is Andhra Jyothi, with a total readership of 56.35 lakh, a loss of 3.56 lakh in the last three quarters. In the latest quarter, the Telugu newspaper has lost 2.73 lakh readers. It has lost the maximum readership in the state capital, but has added marginal readership in Vijayawada and the rest of AP.

Vartha is at No. 4 in the state, with a total readership of 25.55 lakh readers. It is the biggest loser in AP, having lost 12.2 lakh readers in the last three quarters. In the last one year, the daily has lost readership in all the reporting centres of AP -- Guntur, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Warangal, as well as the rest of AP.

At No. 5 is the first English daily of the state to feature in the top ten list -- Deccan Chronicle with a total readership of 17.33 lakh. The daily has lost 91,000 readers in this quarter; but its gain of 96,000 readers in the last quarter compensates for the current losses. While Deccan Chronicle has gained marginal readership in Guntur and Warangal, it has lost readers in all the others centres in the last one year.

The second English daily to feature in the top ten is The Hindu, which is 7.36 lakh readers behind Deccan Chronicle. The No. 6 daily of the state has recorded a total readership of 9.97 lakh, registering a gain of 48,000 readers in the last three quarters. It has lost readers in Hyderabad and the rest of AP; maintained status quo in Vijayawada; and has gained readership in all the other centres of the state in the last one year.

At No. 7, Andhra Bhoomi has a total readership of 9.54 lakh, with a loss of 33,000 readers in this quarter and 68,000 in the last three quarters.

The Telugu daily, Andhra Prabha is at No. 8, with a total readership of 4.66 lakh, registering a loss of 80,000 readers in the current quarter. However, its last quarter's gain of 1.37 lakh compensates for its present loss, taking the net gain of the daily in the last three quarters to 57,000 readers.

The No. 9 and No. 10 positions are taken up by Prajasakti and The Times of India respectively. While Prajasakti has total readership of 3.95 lakh; TOI has 3.4 lakh readers in the state. Despite losing readership in the present quarter, both the dailies have added readers to their kitty. Prajasakti has added 33,000 readers; while TOI has added 60,000 in the last three quarters.