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The price of DNA, which is being touted as a newspaper that
will cater to the 'real needs’ of readers, has not yet been decided
as the company promoting it is waiting for competition to react
on the pricing front before deciding how much subsidization could
be done.
Competition for DNA would come from evergreen leader The
Times of India (TOI), Mumbai Mirror (a recently launched
TOI group product in a compact format) and Hindustan Times,
which, too, is targeting a July launch with its Mumbai edition.
Mirror’s introductory pricing is Re 1 that will go up to
Rs 2 after the first month. The industry buzz is that HT might price
itself initially at Re 1 as well. It needs noting that the TOI's
weekday price is Rs 4, while the weekend price is Rs 5.
“We’ll have to see whether the mass circulating TOI drops
it prices in anticipation of other newspapers launching in Mumbai
before we decide DNA’s cover price,” the executive from Diligent
Media said, admitting, ”There’ll be skirmishes on the price front.”
Diligent Media has already put up a state-of-the-art printing press
in the Vashi area of Navi Mumbai with a capacity to print 450,000
copies.
In recent times, DNA has been poaching heavily from other
newspapers for manpower, including senior editorial staffers. However,
an editor-in-chief or equivalent has not yet been selected, though
most section editors are in place.
The type of content that would be offered to readers via DNA
is getting decided by the feedback from a massive survey launched
by the Dainik Bhaskar group, which is a Bhopal-based regional media
powerhouse with intentions of becoming a national player.
The executive added further that some 11 million respondents would
be contacted for feedback on content and look.
Diligent Media is a joint venture, but an informal understanding
between the partners is that the Bhaskar group would take care of
distribution and operations, while Essel would be responsible for
the editorial and marketing activities.
The Bhaskar group promoters, the Agarwal family, are seasoned businesspeople
and have built up strong bases in Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan,
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
According to the latest NRS figures, Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar
is the second largest circulating newspaper in the country.
The Subhash Chandra-promoted Essel Group has diverse national and
global business interests, encompassing media programming, broadcast
& distribution, specialty packaging, entertainment, telecom
and trading.
Some of the companies promoted by Essel Group are Zee Telefilms
Limited, India’s largest vertically integrated media and entertainment
company; Essel Propack Limited, world’s largest lami tube packagers;
Essel World and Water Kingdom theme parks and Playwin, India’s first
online gaming service.
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