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ABC: Metro papers continue to fall

Metropolitan newspapers saw a 3% year-on-year drop in the latest circulation figures, with Fairfax Media’s The Australian Financial Review still seeing the biggest fall.  

AFR, MumbrellaThe Audit Bureau of Circulations results for the three months to the end of March was softer compared to the same period last year, which industry body The Newspaper Works is attributing to a number of major news stories that broke at the beginning of 2009.

Events that featured heavily in the news included the Victorian bushfires, the federal Government’s household stimulus package and overseas, the inauguration on January 20 of US President Barack Obama.

However, the numbers show that this time last year also saw a general decline in newspaper circulation, albeit not as steep as this time around.

Meanwhile, News Limited’s Daily Telegraph Saturday edition and the Herald-Sun also on Saturday, experienced the smallest falls, down just over 1% year on year (YOY) respectively.

In contrast, the AFR weekday paper fell 8.63% YOY to 75,624, while its weekend edition fell 6.55% to 91,735. However, its performance was still better than the previous quarter, when both editions fell by around 10% respectively.

Its inserts, AFR Magazine and Boss also saw YOY falls.

Financial Review Group CEO, Michael Gill, said: “The financial pressures experienced by our core customers last year significantly disrupted employment and business activity.

“It is therefore positive to see that our most recent circulation results indicate that declines have bottomed and early signs of circulation recovery are emerging.”

The AFR has recentlybeen hit by senior editorial staff defecting to rival The Australian. A number of new appointments have since been made, including BRW editor-in-chief, Sean Aylmer, moving to the role of deputy managing editor for the Fairfax paper.

Among the newspaper inserted magazines, News Limited’s The Deal and Wish performed the worst, down 27.9% and 26.67% respectively.

ABC Newspapers – Biggest falls

Title                                              Jan-Mar ’10  Jan-Mar ’09  %change

CANBERRA TIMES (Sat) 56,187 59,595 -5.72%
SUNDAY MAIL (QLD) 527,674 559,114 -5.62%
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Sat) 340,026 359,000 -5.29%
AGE (Sat) 279,900 294,900 -5.09%
SUNDAY TERRITORIAN 21,376 22,459 -4.82%
WEST AUSTRALIAN (Sat) 332,127 348,824 -4.79%
NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS (M-F) 19,964 20,948 -4.70%
CANBERRA TIMES (M-F) 32,835 34,354 -4.42%
AUSTRALIAN 132,690 138,765 -4.38%
WEST AUSTRALIAN (M-F) 191,312 199,707 -4.20%
AGE (M-F) 189,500 197,600 -4.10%
WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 304,548 316,194 -3.68%
ADVERTISER (M-F) 181,130 187,908 -3.61%
NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS (Sat) 30,655 31,718 -3.35%
CANBERRA TIMES (Sun) 34,544 35,641 -3.08%
DAILY TELEGRAPH (M-F) 349,635 360,563 -3.03%
COURIER MAIL (M-F) 208,214 214,468 -2.92%
SUNDAY TIMES (WA) 311,808 321,200 -2.92%
ADVERTISER (Sat) 252,640 259,481 -2.64%
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 636,149 651,872 -2.41%
SUNDAY MAIL (SA) 300,526 307,376 -2.23%
SUNDAY HERALD-SUN 607,400 620,000 -2.03%
COURIER MAIL (Sat) 300,830 306,798 -1.95%
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (M-F) 209,011 212,700 -1.73%
MERCURY (M-F) 46,323 47,123 -1.70%
DAILY TELEGRAPH (Sat) 327,538 331,272 -1.13%
HERALD-SUN (Sat) 509,500 515,000 -1.07%
MERCURY (Sat) 62,769 62,689 0.13%
SUNDAY AGE 223,100 222,000 0.50%
SUNDAY TASMANIAN 60,615 60,163 0.75%
HERALD-SUN (M-F) 509,000 518,000 -1.74%

ABC Newspaper Inserts – Biggest falls

Title                                   Jan-Mar ’10  Jan-Mar ’09  %change

DEAL, THE 99,129 137,479 -27.90%
WISH 101,376 138,242 -26.67%
AFR MAGAZINE 87,236 95,473 -8.63%
BOSS MAGAZINE 87,543 95,158 -8.00%
SUNDAY LIFE (NSW) 442,417 479,227 -7.68%
TELEVISION 442,417 479,227 -7.68%
TV GUIDE (QLD) 527,674 559,114 -5.62%
GOOD WEEKEND (NSW) 340,026 359,000 -5.29%
GOOD WEEKEND (VIC) 271,000 284,600 -4.78%
AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE 304,548 316,194 -3.68%
TV GUIDE (WA) 311,808 321,200 -2.92%
SUNDAY MAGAZINE (VIC) 591,100 608,576 -2.87%
SYDNEY MAGAZINE, THE 184,805 189,375 -2.41%
TV GUIDE (NSW) 636,149 651,872 -2.41%
SUNDAY MAGAZINE (NSW) 631,527 646,688 -2.34%
TV GUIDE (VIC) 591,100 604,719 -2.25%
TV GUIDE (SA) 300,526 307,376 -2.23%
QWEEKEND 300,830 307,459 -2.16%
SPORT & STYLE (VIC) 150,400 149,700 0.47%
SUNDAY LIFE (VIC) 223,100 222,000 0.50%
TV GUIDE (TAS) 60,615 60,163 0.75%
AGE (Melb) MAGAZINE 176,200 172,900 1.91%
SPORT AND STYLE (NSW) 154,353 150,733 2.40%
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