Ownership of Daily Newspapers in India

Five industrial groups, namely, Goenka, Sahu fain, Birh, Andrew Yule and Karnani. occupy a predominant place m the ownership of daily newspapers in India. In addition, there are some 11 major newspaper groups, in the sense that their controlling interests had practically no interest in industrial activities. Whether one takes only the five industrial groups or all the 16 groups, concentration of ownership of daily newspaper circulation us very high. This article is concerned with (a) listing the leading chains-cum-groups in the daily press, and (b) exa- mining their share of total circulation.

A T the end of 1963, India had Table 2: Multiple Units of Dailies 1963 nearly 7,800 newspapers and periodicals. Of these 4,570, for which Name of Daily Centres of Publication Circulation data arc available with the Registrar Centre Total of Newspapers, had a total circulation of 20 million. The total number of dailies was 503; the circulation of 345 dailies, for which data are available, was 5.6 million. The Registrar classifies newspapers (including both dailies and periodicals) under common ownership in three broad categories: (a) Chains: More than one news­ paper under common ownership from more than one centre. (b) Groups: More than one news. paper of the same title, language and periodicity under common ownership from the same centre. (c) Multiple units: More than one newspaper of the same title,-lan­ guage and periodicity under common ownership from differ ent centres. These categories overlap in the sense that particular organizations of newspapers, say, the Times of India embraces all the three categories: it publishes five dailies, and seven perio­ dicals from Bombay ('group') and two of the dailies are published simulta­ neously from Bombay and Delhi

Table 1: Number and Circulation of Dailies, by Language in 1963 August 7, 1965 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY

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August 7, 1965 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY

('chain' and 'multiple units'). While dailies under common ownership Whether one takes only the five in­ groups, and to a lesser extent chains, would have been greater if more dustrial groups or all the sixteen are a common feature in many coun­ newsprint had been available to them. groups, the concentration of circulation tries, the frequency of multiple units Five industrial groups, namely, is high. In languages like Gujarati, in India is a rather unusual feature. Goenka, Sahu Jain, Birla, Andrew Kannada and Malayalam, where the There are, 27 multiple units, against Yule, and Karnani, play a major role concentration appears to be low, there 15 chains and 36 groups, again with in the ownership of daily newspapers are relatively few dailies. overlaps. (besides periodicals with which we are Dailies are highly localised so With the exception of Statesman, not concerned here). These groups far as the centres of publication Thanthi and Mulai Murasu, all the (derisively called the Jute Press) had are concerned but the circulation of leading multiple unit dailies belong to 28 per cent of total national circula­ leading dailies is spread over a wide the large chains and/or groups. At tion in 1963. This proportion is rather area. Out of 503 dailies at the end the same time, some independent deceptive, because their share in the of 1963, 204 were published from dailies with a small circulation also circulation of English dailies was 60 State capitals, 185 from cities with have multiple units, but this pheno­ per cent, Telugu 44 per cent, Ma rat hi population exceeding 100,000 and menon is practically confined to Hindi 41 per cent, and Hindi 31 per cent. only 114 from smaller towns, Bombay and Punjabi papers. Curiously enough, Their share in Tamil circulation was had 36 dailies, Calcutta 25, Madras the Birla group's chain has no multi­ 19 per cent and in Gujarati only 3 23, and Delhi 20, making a total of ple unit whatever (though it. has a per cent. They had no share whatever 104 from metropolitan centres. Kanpur supplement to the Hindustan in Bengali, Kannada and Malayalam. Times published from Delhi). On the The precise area-wise circulation of English dailies provided more than 56 metropolitan and other dailies is not whole, it would be correct to say that per cent of their total circulation. the bigger multiple units tend to available, but the leading metropolitan coincide with big chains and groups. There were roughly 11 major 'pure' dailies sell a large part (actually the newspaper groups in the sense that larger part in many cases) of their Since it is difficult to unscramble their controlling interests had practi­ copies to readers outside the metro­ the chains and groups, we may satisfy cally no interest in industrial activi­ politan centres. Restrictions on the ourselves with two broad particulars: ties. These 11 groups had 23 per cent import and use of newsprint and (1) the leading chains-cum-groups, and of total national circulation. Two of growth of population in large cities (2) their share in total circulation. them, however, accounted for 84 per have tended to restrict the outstation In 1963, 143 dailies (including mul­ cent of the circulation of all Bengali circulation of metropolitan dailies in tiple units) were under common own­ dailies, and one had 34 per cent of 1962 and 1963. While the number of ership; their circulation of 3.8 million Tamil circulation. The share of all dailies published from small towns has accounted for 68 per cent of the total the 11 groups in English dailies was increased, there is nevertheless, little circulation of all dailies. In 1962, the 22 per cent, Hindi 13 per cent, Guja­ cloubt that dailies in India continue to figures were 130, 3.5 million and 66 rati 22 per cent, Kannada 28 per cent mean, in effect, metropolitan dailies per cent. The increase in the share of and Malayalam 27 per cent. only.

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