MxMIndia

Tag: Readership Studies Council of India

  • The survey has also added numerous safety enhancement layers, powered by technology

    IRS announces India plans for 2016

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI), formed jointly by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), has announced the launch of the world’s largest continuous survey of media usage, product consumption and ownership – Indian Readership Survey (IRS) for 2016.

     

    The 2016 IRS data will be released by January next year, followed by regular quarterly updates. The survey increased its sample size by 40 per cent at an ‘All India’ level, targeting a total of 3.30 lakh respondents, across 91 Individual Districts and 101 District Clusters.

     

    I Venkat

    Speaking on the launch of the IRS 2016, I Venkat, Chairman, MRUC said, “The Indian Readership Survey is one of the most definitive surveys for print media; consumer demographic profiling and product consumption habits, anywhere in the world. India is one of those unique markets where the print medium is growing consistently even though we are on the brink of a digital revolution. After consultations with all relevant stakeholders we have finalized our research design and begun the field work. IRS is the only industry recognized readership and consumer profiling survey in the country and the team has worked hard to ensure it meets the high standards expected of it.”

     

    To ensure reliability of the IRS, the technical committee has enhanced the process of back-checks and included a third party auditor for monitoring the end to end process of survey design and quality control checks. The survey has also added numerous safety enhancement layers, powered by technology. Some of these include a tracker for GPS locations of interviewers, enhanced audio recording and electronically addressed forms.

     

  • Srini takes over from Hormusji Cama who was Chairman of RSCI for the past two years

    CVL Srinivas appointed Chairman of RSCI

    By A Correspondent

     

    CVL Srinivas

    Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI) announced that CVL Srinivas, CEO, GroupM South Asia has been nominated as Chairman for a period of two years with immediate effect. Srini takes over from Hormusji Cama who was Chairman of RSCI for the past two years.

     

    RSCI was set up when the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) agreed to undertake joint readership studies as equal partners. The RSCI is governed by a 20 member Managing Committee consisting of Publishers representing the print media, Advertising Agencies’ representatives and Advertisers. The managing committee of RSCI sets up the Technical Committee to work on the IRS. In a recent development N.P. Satyamurthy was made the head of the Technical Committee to work on the new IRS.

     

    Shashi Sinha

    Shashi Sinha Chairman of ABC said “From an ABC standpoint we are delighted that Srini has taken over as Chairman RSCI, as there can’t be better person with this stature to guide RSCI especially as we kickoff IRS 2016.”

     

    Commenting on this development, I. Venkat Chairman MRUC said, “Srini brings over two decades of rich and varied experience in media planning and buying having worked in some of the best known agencies. I am confident that Srini, ably assisted by N.P. Satyamurthy who has recently taken charge of the Technical Committee will help us bring out an improved IRS 2016 with a 3,30,000 sample the largest such study anywhere in the world.”

     

    Srini was till recently the Chairman MRUC, stepping in to complete the term of his colleague Ravi Rao who moved to Dubai in May 2015.

     

  • According to sources, the revalidation exercise hasn't started in right earnest and it's unlikely that the RSCI and MRUC will complete it by March 31 as announced earlier

    IRS revalidation will not happen by March 31

    By A Correspondent

     

    In what is a blow to the readership measurement mechanism, it is reliably learnt that the revalidation exercise that the Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI) and the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) were supposed to conduct along with Nielsen India hasn’t really started in right earnest.

     

    A meeting of a small taskforce created to look into the concerns on IRS 2013 has been appointed with senior industrypersons as members.  A meeting of this group happened last week, on March 13.

     

    Although the MRUC statement on February 19  had categorically stated that IRS 2013 was to be in abeyance till March 31, sources tell MxMIndia that the process will take at least another month and even more given that all stakeholders are busy with the budgeting exercises in their own organisations.

     

    Meanwhile, there is some confusion in the market as a few publishers continue to quote the IRS 2013 figures as it suits their business. A few others have got back to the earlier numbers. A media planner who spoke to MxMIndia on anonymity that there is much confusion and vagueness in buying decisions. “The bosses of stakeholder bodies like the INS, AAAI, RSCI and MRUC should realise that short-sightedness is self-defeating.  Had they waited for a month more earlier and revalidated all numbers properly, we would not have got to this.”