Print media registers 5.34 p.c. growth

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 28. Newspapers and periodicals registered a 5.34 per cent growth in the country last year but the total circulation of publications went down by 2.4 per cent during the period.

The number of registered publications rose by 2,502 from 46,665 in 1999 to 49,145 in 2000, according to the annual report-2001 of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI).

But, the total circulation decreased by 2.4 per cent from 13,00,87,493 copies in 1999 to 12,69,63,763 in 2000, an official release quoting the report said here today.

The number of dailies rose by 4.01 per cent and periodicals by 5.54 per cent.

The report said the highest number of newspapers published in 101 languages, the maximum number were in Hindi (19,685) followed by English (7,175) and Urdu (2,848).

The Hindustan Times, published from New Delhi and printed in seven cities, claiming a circulation of 8,47,851 was the largest circulated single edition daily in the year followed by The Hindu with a claimed circulation of 7,79,851 and Anand Bazar Patrika with 7,54,348.

The Times of India, with seven editions and a circulation of 16,87,099 copies, came first among the multi-edition dailies followed by Malayala Manorama's eight editions claiming a 12,08,001 circulation and Dainik Jagran with 11 editions circulating 11,38,035 copies.

Ravi Kant, ABC chairman

Mr. Ravi Kant, executive director, commercial vehicles business unit of the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co. Ltd., has been elected chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2001-2002, while Mr. Philip Mathew, managing editor of The Week, elected deputy chairman.

Mr. Kant is also chairman of the National Readership Studies Council, which is an autonomous division of the ABC.

The publishers' representatives on ABC's council of management are Mr. C.B. Sen, Mr. A.K. Bahl, Mr. K.N. Shanth Kumar, Mr. Ashwini Kumar, Ms. Shobhana Bhartia, Mr. S.H. Kiron and Mr. Aroon Purie.

The advertising agencies will be represented by Mr. Goutam Rakshit, Mr. Krishan Premnarayan, Mr. Anil Kapoor and Mr. Rajiv Aggarwal. The advertisers' representatives are Mr. Kurush N. Grant, Mr. Vikram Kaushik and Mr. Nabankur Gupta.

- PTI

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