Anandabazar Patrika
Anandabazar Patrika (Bengali: আনন্দবাজার পত্রিকা Aːnond̪obaːdʒaːr Pot̪riːkaː) is an Indian Bengali language daily newspaper published in Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai by the ABP Group. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.28 million copies making it the largest circulation for a single-edition, regional language newspaper in India.[2] According to the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2010, the Anandabazar Patrika is the most widely read Bengali newspaper in India with a readership of 65.32 lakhs. This ranks the Anandabazar Patrika as the top Bengali newspaper in India by readership.[3] The newspaper's principal rival is Bartaman Patrika, which ranks second by circulation and readership.
Anandabazar is the most circulated Bengali newspaper in India. Other than Kolkata, it is also printed from various other towns in West Bengal. The paper was founded in 1922 by its inaugural editor Prafulla Chandra Sarkar. Presently, the newspaper is edited by Aveek Sarkar.
History
Anandabazar Patrika was first published as an evening daily on 13 March 1922 on the auspicious day of Holi. It was initially printed in red ink and consisted of four pages, which was increased to six. In 1923, the newspaper was transformed to a morning daily, as it is still published now. In 1923, a bi-weekly named Anandabazar was also published for suburban readers. In 1925, the newspaper grew to a 16-page format.
Timeline
- 1922 – Anandabazar Patrika comes out as a four-page evening daily. A cartoon strip appears. Printer’s line appears (1 June) — an amendment of the Press Act makes it mandatory. Becomes a six-pager.
- 1923 – Anandabazar Patrika becomes a morning daily. Ties up with Reuters, Associated Press and the Free Press of India. A bi-weekly Anandabazar starts for suburban readers.
- 1925 – First byline appears: Our special correspondent. Anandabazar Patrika becomes a 16-page wonder. A new Saturday section, Shanibarer Chithi, starts. It evolves into Rabibashoriyo. First 120-page special supplement on Calcutta Congress — sold out within two hours. Second edition printed on demand.
- 1926 – Anandabazar Patrika kicks off its first Puja special issue, Sharadiya shankhya.
- 1930 – Birth of Ananda Press. Faced with a draconian Press Ordinance, goes out of circulation for a few months (May 2 – October 31).
- 1931 – Closed so long on Sundays, Anandabazar Patrika starts coming out every day of the week.
- 1932 – Office shifts to 1 Burman Street, near Burrabazar. Circulation soars. The company invests in a fast-paced rotary machine. Crabtree machine is installed to print 25,000 copies in an hour.
- 1940 – Anandamela, the children’s section appears in Anandabazar Patrika.
- 1942 – Dailies not printed to protest against regulations imposed on newspapers (August 21 – September 5). Lack of newsprint during World War II results in abridged dailies (June 1 – March 30, 1943).
- 1948 – Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination rocks the nation. Anandabazar Patrika echoes the sentiment with its landmark coverage. Lord Mountbatten calls it the greatest homage to the Mahatma.
- 1954 – Anandabazar Patrika becomes the largest circulated newspaper in the country published from one location, according to the Press Commission report.
- 1955 – Anandabazar Patrika has a separate chief reporter now. The ABP Group has a new home — a new building at Sooterkin Street. Ananda Press begins publishing Anandabazar Patrika from 6 Sooterkin Street. An automatic rotary machine is installed with a capacity to print 40,000 copies of the newspaper in an hour. The double-plate technique is used to print Anandabazar Patrika.
- 1960 – Anandabazar Patrika publishes the serial countdown of the successful Nanda Ghunti expedition patronised by ABP. It was the first publishing house to undertake such an enterprise. The team for the mission included a journalist and a photographer who provided first-hand reports of the expedition. Entertainment gets a fillip with the Anandalok section introduced in Anandabazar Patrika.
- 1963 – Anandabazar Patrika and Desh jointly publish the first large-scale readership survey in India — nine years before the first NRS survey. The Plamog machine is brought from Germany with the double plate white technology.
- 1965 – Colloquial Bengali in narrative prose begins. Formal Bengali only in the editorials now.
- 1968 – Sooterkin Street renamed Prafulla Sarkar Street by the Calcutta Corporation.
- 1973 – Birth of Sunday, an English magazine.
- 1975 – Phototypesetting introduced. Anandalok magazine is born. Business Standard, the business daily, is born. Popular section Anandamela, is now a magazine.
- 1978 – Sportsworld is launched.
- 1979 – The ABP Group celebrates 200 years of printing and publishing in Bengal with a grand exhibition at the Maidan.
- 1981 – Phototypesetting starts in Bengali. Businessworld, a fortnightly business magazine enters the fray.
- 1982 – Printing takes a giant leap forward with the first full offset printing of Anandabazar Patrika. The Telegraph is born. The first in India to have a modular layout. The last issue of Hindusthan Standard is printed.
- 1983 – The first colour printing — the features section of Anandabazar Patrika.
- 1984 – News comes to a standstill as ABP faces a 51-day strike
- 1992 – Anandabazar Patrika does not carry a single advertisement as a mark of tribute to Satyajit Ray, who had died the previous day.
- 1993 – The district pages of the Anandabazar Patrika are launched.
- 1995 – Weekly Knowhow supplement comes out with The Telegraph.
- 1996 – Weekly Telekids and ETC supplements come out. ABP creates a programme to run Bengali with all its conjuncts on Windows 95.
- 2000 – Anandabazar Patrika’s internet edition is launched. The Telegraph in Schools (TTIS) is born.
- 2001 – Prestige software introduced to upgrade page production. Kolkata section appears in Anandabazar Patrika. The beginning of customised split editions.
- 2002 – The first INFOCOM — an IT exposition organised jointly by NASSCOM and Businessworld, takes an initial step towards becoming a giant annual event.
- 2003 – A new-look Anandabazar Patrika hits the stands. Unish Kuri magazine is launched. ABP enters electronic space. Adds STAR News to its bouquet. The Telegraph wins the SNAP certificate — the first non-US newspaper to do so.
- 2004 – The Telegraph appears in a new international look. Prastuti comes out with Anandabazar Patrika. Launch of Unish Kuri Career. ABP claims a place in the highly acclaimed IFRA-International Newspaper Colour Quality Club (INCQC) for The Telegraph for 2004–2006. Computer to plate technology (CTP) introduced in printing.
- 2005 – Boier Desh hits the stands. The Telegraph wins the SNAP certificate again. STAR Ananda, the 24-hour national news channel in Bengali, begins broadcasting. Anandabazar Patrika reaches the one-million circulation benchmark. Anandabazar Patrika wins the SNAP certificate. The Telegraph wins the Bronze award for the Best in Print at the Asia Media Awards. Hey Ya is launched.
Through the years
The Saturday section called "Shanibarer Chithi" and the Sunday section "Rabibasariya" came into being in 1925 only. The Robibasorio section still appears in the same name, though the Saturday supplement has changed it name. In 1926, the first festival issue - Puja special issue was published - Sharadiya Sankhya. Sharadiya Sankhya is still published regularly. In 1940, a children's section under the name "Anandamela", was introduced. In 1960, an entertainment section mainly composed of movie news, called "Anandalok" was introduced. In 1965, the language of reporting changed to colloquial Bengali (Chalit Bhasha) though the editorial continued to be written in formal Bengali (Sadhu Bhasha). In 1954, Anandabazar Patrika received special honours when the Press Commission report declared it to be the largest circulated newspaper in the country, published from a single location. In 1984, the Patrika publication was closed for 51 days due to a strike. The internet edition of the newspaper was launched in the year 2009.
Edition
Three editions of Anandabazar Patrika are published from the Indian metropolitan cities of Calcutta, New Delhi and Mumbai. In addition, during the six days of the week, it has divided the state into six parts district: North Bengal (Malda, Jalpaiguri, South and North Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling), South Bengal (Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas and Hoogly, Bankura-Birbhum-Purulia, Nadia-Murshidabad), Burdwan, Midnapore. Four days a week tabloids are published for Kolkata and its adjoining areas namely South Calcutta, Howrah, North Calcutta, and East Calcutta. The newspaper edition is also available on the Internet.
Its supplements include the Sunday Supplement, Rabibasario, and the Saturday Supplement, Patrika. The Rabibasario has a children's page called Anandamela. Other supplements include Kajer Bazar(every Tuesday) and Prastuti(every Monday). In addition, its editions have a special supplement for the particular place from which the edition is published, e.g., "Kolkata" for the Kolkata edition. The paper has comic strips of Phantom and Mandrake from Monday to Saturday. The newspaper brings out a special festive issue (Sharadiya) during Durga Puja and also an annual issue.
Competition
Anandabazar Patrika's major competitor is Bartaman which is being published since 1984. Bartaman holds second position after Anandabazar Patrika in West Bengal, as per readership and circulation is concerned. Other competitors include Sangbad Pratidin, Aajkaal, Ganashakti, Sakalbela, Ekdin,NEWZ bangla.
Readership circulation
As per Audit Bureau of Circulations July–December 2008, the total circulation of Anandabazar Patrika is 12,77,801. As per National Readership Survey, 2006, the readership of Anandabazar Patrika was 72,95.000 which included a readership of 30,61,000 in Kolkata.
Sister publication
The Telegraph, a daily English newspaper, was launched on 7 July 1982 and is published simultaneously from Kolkata. It is also published from Guwahati (to cater to the entire northeast), Siliguri (for North Bengal and Sikkim), Jamshedpur, and Ranchi (for Jharkhand),Bhubaneshwar (for Orissa) and Patna(for Bihar).
See also
References
External links