AIM asks MRUC to withdraw IRS ’13

Following the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) has written to the MRUC over the Indian Readership Study 2013 (IRS). The body representing magazine publishers has asked MRUC to withdraw the IRS 2013 figures.

The letter issued on 5 February points to alleged anomalies in the readership study. The letter addressed to MRUC from AIM says, “IRS 2013, which claims to have used better technology for data capturing, population estimates based on the recent 2011 census and a similar sample size, has thrown up more anomalies than the previous rounds. While newspapers have pointed out many such discrepancies in the last few days, a closer look will make us realise how bizarre and unfathomable the magazine readership figures are.”

The letter asks MRUC "to immediately withdraw IRS 2013, as such faulty reporting of readership numbers can have extremely damaging impact on business, apart from misleading media planners and advertisers.”

The response from MRUC is still awaited.

Also read: INS urges members to reject IRS 2013

MRUC stands by IRS 2013; RSCI to meet on 19 February