Newspaper circulation in HP takes a dip

It seems to be a bad time for the print media in Himachal Pradesh as eight out of 10 major newspapers in the state are shrinking and taking a slump, according to the second quarter Indian Readership Survey (IRS) released Monday.

The number one daily Amar Ujala is recording the fastest growth at 23.7 per cent in the second quarter , the survey says. Amar Ujala has an Average Issue Readership (AIR) of 4.59 lakh in the second quarter this year as compared to 4.34 lakh in the previous quarter and 3.71 lakh in Q 2, 2010 .

Followed by Punjab Kesri which is continuously losing base in the state. It has recorded an AIR of 3.45 lakh in IRS Q 2 2011 as compared to 3.65 lakh the previous quarter and 4,06 lakh in IRS the second quarter 2010. The paper has lost 15 per cent readers in the last one year.

Divya Himachal is at number 3 with an AIR of 1.63 lakh in the second quarter of IRS 2011. It had an AIR of 1.85 lakh the previous quarter and 1.67 lakh last year.

Dainik Bhaskar comes next with a circulation 52,000. The paper lost 7,000 readers in the current AIR . In Q 2 of IRS 2010 Bhaskar had an AIR of 61,000 readers.

English daily The Tribune stands fifth with 40,000 circulation. The Chandigarh daily has lost 7000 readers in the current AIR.

Dainik Jagran the country’s number 1 daily stands sixth in Himachal with 18,000 readers. The hindi daily has lost 3,000 readers in the current quarter. It had an AIR of 42,000 in the second quarter of IRS 2010.

Hindustan Times has added 3000 readers to take its AIR to 16,000 copies in IRS Q 2 2011.

The Times of India the world’s largest selling English daily is at no 8 in Himachal with 8000 circulation.The paper has lost 2000 readers in the current quarter. TOI had an AIR of 11,000 in Q 2 , last year.

Next comes the Economic Times with 3000 readers.

Until 2009 the IRS came up with half yearly figures but since last year has quarterly figures.