Q4, IRS 2012: Five out of 10 English dailies register growth

As per the latest quarter of IRS (Q4, 2012), the English newspapers to have registered a loss in average issue readership (AIR) since Q4, 2011 include The Times Of India (TOI), The Telegraph, Deccan Chronicle, The Economic Times (ET) and The Hindu.

The No. 1 English daily of the country, TOI, has an AIR of 76 lakh - a decline of 38,000 average readers in this quarter. In the last quarter the daily gained marginally by 10,000 readers. The newspaper gained the maximum in Q4, 2011, when it recorded a growth of 1.49 lakh AIR. Cumulatively, the newspaper has lost marginally since Q4, 2011 (a loss of 1,000 readers).

Hindustan Times (HT) is at No. 2 position, with a gain of 34,000 in AIR. The daily has an AIR of 38 lakh in the latest quarter. The newspaper has also gained readership in the last one year, since Q4, 2011, a gain of 29,000 readers and 19,000 readers in Q3, 2012.

The Hindu takes up the No. 3 position, with an AIR of 21.6 lakh in the latest quarter. The Chennai-based daily was the biggest gainer of Q3, 2012 (an increase of 50,000 average readers). However, this time the daily has lost about a lakh readers.

The Telegraph takes up the No. 4 spot with 12.6 lakh average issue readership. The newspaper has registered a marginal gain of 11,000 average readers; however, it is yet to compensate for the loss incurred in the previous quarters. The daily is still at a loss of 8,000 readers since Q4, 2011. The West Bengal-based newspaper lost 21,000 readers in the previous quarter.

Deccan Chronicle, which had added 13,000 AIR in Q3, 2012, has lost 31,000 readers this time. The South based daily is at No. 5 position this time as well. The newspaper has lost 14,000 readers in the last one year.

Mumbai based daily DNA takes up the No.6 spot, with an AIR of 9.7 lakh - a gain of 75,000 readers since Q4, 2011. It is the second biggest gainer in the last one year. The newspaper has added marginal readership of 10,000 readers this time and 32,000 average readers in the previous quarter.

Mumbai Mirror, from the stable of the Times Group, is at the No. 7 position. The tabloid has added 12,000 readers in the current quarter and 16,000 since Q4, 2011. The compact daily had lost the maximum in Q1, 2012 - a loss of 26,000 readers; however, it has compensated for its loss.

The No. 8 spot is also taken up by BCCL's business publication, ET. The newspaper has an AIR of 7.3 lakh. The business newspaper has recorded a loss in average issue readership - a loss of 55,000 since Q4, 2011. In the last one year, the daily has continuously been losing readership, except in Q1, 2012, when it recorded a marginal increase of 2,000 in AIR. This time, too, the newspaper has lost 18,000 average readers.

The Tribune has moved one step up the ladder, from No. 10 position to No. 9 spot. The daily has an AIR of 6.7 lakh and is the biggest gainer since Q4, 2011 - an increase of 86,000 readers during the period. The Tribune registered a gain of 13,000 in the previous quarter and 18,000 readers this time.

At No. 10 is The New Indian Express with an AIR of 6.5 lakh. The daily lost marginally in this quarter and the previous one - a loss of 12,000 readers and 3,000 readers, respectively -- but has gained readership since Q4, 2011 (an increase of 15,000 readers).

(Total readership includes any reader who has read any of the last six issues; whereas average issue readership includes only readers who have read the last issue.)