Ducking
ABC
India`s biggest publications do not have their circulations listed by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
By The Hoot Desk
India`s biggest publications do not have their circulations listed by
the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
The country`s leading publications have ensured that the Audit Bureau of
Circulations` bi-annual exercise of publishing circulation figures has become a
bit of a farce. Some of the biggest publications no longer figure in this list,
for one reason or another. That includes some or all editions of the Times of
India, The Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, India Today, Dainik Jagran,
Malayala Manorama, Punjab Kesari the Deccan Chronicle, and Amar Ujala.
The reason listed for all of the above except the
Indian Express is "under consideration". Under Consideration in the
ABC list published for the period ending December 31, 2001 is defined as
"Incoming certificate under examination or subject to correspondence."
In other words the auditors have not accepted the submitted figures. And the
irony is that five of the eight newspaper industry representatives on the Audit
Bureau`s Council of Management are representing publications which are
"under consideration." They are Aroon Purie of India Today, Shobana
Bharatiya of the Hindustan Times, A K Bahl of the Sunday Times of India,
Ashwini Kumar Chopra of Punjab Kesari, and Philip Mathew of The Manorama group.
In the case of the Express, the Mumbai, Nagpur and
Pune editions are listed as not received, which is defined as "Incoming
certificate not submitted." The New Indian Express which has a large
number of Southern Editions comes under the same categorisation. And the Delhi
edition of the paper simply does not figure on the list. Last year all these
editions were listed as "Deemed not received".
If nothing else, that is a comment on how much
credibility ABC now has as source of circulation figures. In recent years ABC`s
certification has come under doubt. More than one publication has said to the
Hoot at some point "ABC can be managed." Which raises the question,
if the above people despite being on the Council of Management could not manage
the figures, there must be quite a lot to manage.
While the Times of India has its Delhi, Pune, and Bangalore
editions listed as being under consideration, the Economic Times is in the
clear with all its editions being listed with a combined average net paid
circulation of 4.32 lakhs. The Hindustan Times has all its editions listed as
being under consideration. The English edition of India Today too is under
consideration. The Statesman`s figures have not been accepted by the Bureau.
The issues which lead the auditing team from ABC to
raise questions are practices adopted by newspapers today in the face of
growing competition. This includes giving away copies free, printing excess
copies and selling them as raddi, or waste, offering gifts and
promotions in a bid to increase circulation. Faced by a number of questionable
circulation tactics, they can delay giving certification. So when the country`s
biggest, most reputed, and established news papers are denied or delayed
certification it raises questions about their circulation practices.
Regional newspapers whose circulation claims have not been accepted by the Audit Bureau are besides the Deccan Chronicle, The Sentinel of Assam, the Assam Tribune, the Gwalior edition of