Chennai: The Hindu has consolidated its leadership position as the fastest growing English daily in India with its Total Readership (TR) growing by 6% and Average Issue Readership (AIR) by 4% in the fourth quarter of 2019 over the corresponding figures for the third quarter, registering the highest growth rate among the top three national English dailies. The Times of India and the Hindustan Times have declined in AIR. The Hindu has added 4,61,000 readers nationally over the third quarter, which is 1,03,000 more than what The Times of India did, says the Indian Readership Survey’s recent report released by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) in the fourth and final quarter of the calendar year.
In south India, The Hindu has witnessed the highest TR of 46,70,000 which is higher than The Times of India. The Hindu’s performance is attributed to sustained leadership in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and gains in Karnataka.
The Hindu continues to be the largest read English daily in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, in terms of both TR and AIR. Its AIR in Tamil Nadu is higher than that of The Times of India and The New Indian Express combined. The Hindu has witnessed consistent growth in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Karnataka, The Hindu has grown by 10% in AIR, whereas The Times of India and the Deccan Herald have declined.
L. V. Navaneeth, Chief Executive Officer, The Hindu Group, said, “It is heartening to note that we have witnessed continued growth in all four quarters, even as we continue to disseminate verified information during these challenging times. We are thankful to our readers and to our advertisers for the continued support of our quality and credible journalism.”
