<font color="#FF0000"><b><font color="#FF00033">NRS 2005</font></b></font>: Dainik Jagran registers 40% growth; Daily Thanthi declines

The National Readership Survey (NRS) findings by National Readership Studies Council (NRSC) are finally out after a gap of two years.

As per NRS 2005, Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar have interchanged the first two positions among themselves. Dainik Jagran has emerged as the number one daily in both urban and rural markets with a readership of 2.11 crores, registering a 40 per cent growth (61.41 lakhs).

Meanwhile, Dainik Bhaskar – which was the top daily in the previous round of NRS – has moved to the second position with a readership of 1.73 crores, in the urban and rural markets. The publication has registered a growth of 10.5 per cent (16.64 lakhs) from the previous round of NRS.

Interestingly, the gap between the number one and two has widened. As per NRS 2003, the difference between the two was only 7.27 lakhs, but in the current round (NRS 2005) Dainik Jagran has taken a lead with a margin of 37.5 lakhs.

Eenadu, which is at the number three position in the current round of NRS, has moved up one position from the previous round. The Telugu daily has registered a growth of 20 per cent (17.38 lakhs) with a readership of 1.13 crores.

Hindustan, the fourth most-read daily in India has registered a growth of 33.4 per cent (26.39 lakhs). The Hindi daily has moved up from the seventh position in NRS 2003 with a readership of 1.05 crore. In terms of growth, it is only second to Dainik Jagran.

Amar Ujala with a readership of 1.03 crores is the fifth most-read publication. The Hindi daily has grown by 17.38 lakh readers (20 per cent) moving up from the sixth position in NRS 2003.

Daily Thanthi is the only daily among the top 10 dailies, which has shown a decline in readership. The Tamil newspaper has moved from number three to six, with its readership coming down to 9.37 lakhs. Currently at number six, the daily has lost 7.24 lakh readers, which formed 7.1 per cent of its readership.

Lokmat and Rajasthan Patrika are at the next two positions with a readership of 88.21 lakhs and 86.28 lakhs, respectively. Between the two dailies, Rajasthan Patrika has registered a higher growth (17.3 per cent) than Lokmat, which has grown by 12.1 per cent.

The Times of India is the only English daily to find place among the top publications. TOI, which was at the number 10 position in the previous round, has moved up by one position, registering a growth of 8.69 per cent. The total readership of the English daily stands at 80.64 lakh.

In the current NRS survey, the Malayalam dailies have not been included. As per NRSC executives, the readership figures for Malayalam dailies can be included after a few weeks. This may have facilitated a few other dailies such as Ananda Bazar Patrika to find a place among the top 10. The Bengali daily has moved from the 13th position in the previous round, registering a growth of 18.35 per cent (11.18 lakhs). As per NRS 2005, Ananda Bazar Patrika’s total readership is 72.10 lakhs.

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