Satyajit Sen, CEO, India, ZenithOptimedia
The readers are heading towards a zone of content and zone of information not necessarily bound by traditional vehicles. Readers are continuing to consume content, but their format is changing from access A to B. Hence, my feeling is that it is the peripheral people who had came in, who are dropping out, because the value that they were getting earlier because of some promotional activities are no longer available.

The readers are heading towards a zone of content and zone of information not necessarily bound by traditional vehicles. Readers are continuing to consume content, but their format is changing from access A to B. Hence, my feeling is that it is the peripheral people who had came in, who are dropping out, because the value that they were getting earlier because of some promotional activities are no longer available.Satyajit Sen has been associated with ZenithOptimedia for the last eight years. He joined the agency as Executive Vice President and was later elevated to CEO, India in November 2009. A graduate from University of Calcutta, Sen is a media veteran with experience spanning more than 30 years.
In conversation with exchange4media's Abid Hasan, Sen speaks at length about readership issues in print, performance of regional media, impact of digital on print and more... Q. How do you see digital as platform for consuming content? Do you think digital is eating into the print pie in recent times for consuming content?
Consumers and consumer behaviour is changing, hence, I think it is inevitable that people will shift from print to digital in the long run and technically will eat into print’s share.
Q. Many a publishers are dissatisfied with the IRS data; they think that IRS is giving out a different picture altogether and insist that subscription numbers are on the rise. What is your view regarding this?
From the consumer point of view, I think what you see as decline in readership is probably a bigger issue of lack of engagement. Thus, publishers need to strive to make their content more engaging.
Q. IRS data for the last three quarters has shown an average decline in readership of regional dailies even as the revenue is witnessing growth. What is your view on this?
Given the margin squeeze across the industry, the promotional incentives for readers might have been modified, leading to a drop in readers.
We need to explore whether this drop in readership is induced owing to reduced secondary sale of newspapers to readers and whether the same could be triggered by reduction in advertising volumes as well as subscription revenues.
In order to engage with readers, apart from the usual initiatives publishers should engage the readers with subscription initiatives as that is the key.
Q. Will digital hurt print publications?
Q. Advertisements are shifting to various screens such as mobile, tablets, and post digitisation more ads are focused on certain target groups in television. How much will this affect print advertising?
Q. So, where are the readers heading to?
Q. Your take on the IRS 2012 Q4 results...
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