NEW DELHI, August 8: Supplements have been around for some time; we know they are here to stay. So — it is time one looks at how supplements have been faring.
Numbers: those are not particularly encouraging. The readership levels generally vary between 25 to 40 per cent of the readership of the main issue across different cities and publications. Surprise: The highest levels were recorded in Hyderabad (mostly above 60 per cent of the main issue’s readership for most supplements irrespective of the title of the main issue). Bigger surprise: The lowest levels were recorded in Delhi; Ahmedabad and Pune (generally below 20 per cent of the main issue’s readership across different topics and publications).
Fait acompli: The main topics of highest interest were education and careers in the case of English dailies, and films and sports in the case of language dailies. Sunday magazines and city-specific supplements scored lower than education and careers with the exception of Bombay Times in Mumbai.
Supplements have been ranked according to per cent of the main issue's average issue readership (AIR) as well as absolute AIR.
As per the first classification, the number one in the supplements section is Chitra Prabha (Kannada Prabha, Bangalore) with an AIR of 59 per cent. Making up the top ten are Bombay Times (The Times of India, Mumbai) with 54 per cent; Elanyar Malar (Dinamani, Chennai) with 54 per cent; Velli Mani (Dinamani, Chennai) with 52 per cent; Velli Malar (Daily Thanthi, Chennai) with 50 per cent; Nyayar Malar (Daily Thanthi, Chennai) with 47 per cent; Kreede (Prajavani, Bangalore) with 43 per cent; Krida Prabha (Kannada Prabha, Bangalore) with 43 per cent; Rabibashoriyo (Ananda Bazar Patrika, Kolkata) with 41 per cent; and Chaturang (Loksatta, Mumbai) with 38 per cent.
As per the first classification, the number one in the supplements section is Education Times (The Times of India, Bangalore) with 38 per cent; Cine Vijay (Vijay Karnataka, Bangalore) with 38 per cent; Education (The Hindu, Bangalore) with 38 per cent; Education Times (The Times of India, Mumbai) with 37 per cent; Metro Plus (The Hindu, Bangalore) with 37 per cent; Chatusparni (Bartaman, Kolkata) with 36 per cent; Lokrang (Loksatta, Mumbai) with 36 per cent; Ascent (The Times of India, Bangalore) with 36 per cent; Ascent (The Times of India, Mumbai) with 35 per cent; and Patrika (Ananda Bazar Patrika, Kolkata) with 31 per cent.
In terms of readership of supplements (all languages), The Times of India has bagged the top three positions with Education Times (13.82 lakh), Ascent (13.73 lakh) and Life (11.73 lakh). Rabibashoriyo from Ananda Bazar Patrika is fourth with 11.22 lakh readers, and the Times of India's Mumbai Times is next with a readership of 8.7 lakh.
Daily Thanthi’s Velli Malar is in the sixth position with 8.62 lakh, while Patrika, another supplement of Ananda Bazar Patrika, is seventh with a readership of 8.43 lakh. Daily Thanthi’s Nyayir Mala is eighth with 8.27 lakh, while the Times of India's Times Property and Ananda Bazar Patrika's Kolkata have readership figures of 8.14 lakh and 6.01 lakh, respectively.
