Regional Titles Win Bid To Have Paid-For And Free ABCs Combined

The Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Daily Post will have both their paid and free circulation figures combined, following a successful campaign.

From August, the two regional titles’ ABCs will be combined after the body’s council approved the change to the circulation certificates, creating a single set of industry-agreed reporting standards.

Average monthly circulation will be reported and, for free pick-up copies, daily averages.

In May 2006, the MEN, owned by the Guardian Media Group, pioneered a part-paid, part-free circulation model by offering the paper for free in the city of Manchester. The Liverpool Daily Post, published by Trinity Mirror, later adopted the same strategy.

In January last year, Trinity Mirror’s Daily Record turned its afternoon edition free (see Daily Record To Launch Free Paper).

“By working with media buyers and sellers, the historic agreement to merge the paid and free rules for regional newspaper reporting has been reached,” said Martyn Gates, the director of newspapers, ABC.

“The combined figures allow publishers to show their total circulations in one format which will prove to be a more useful tool when trading media space.”

At the most recent ABCs, the Manchester Evening News and The Pink (Mon-Fri) recorded a 25% fall in its circulation year on year, taking it to 88,669 for January to June 2007 (see ABC Regional Newspapers: Jan-Jun 2007).

The Liverpool Daily Post (Mon-Fri) has also seen its circulation fall in the past few years, down to just under 16,000 copies for January to June 2007, from just fewer than 18,000 for the same period the previous year.

The next ABC release for the regional newspaper market is out on 28 February, with NewsLine providing full coverage.

ABC: 01442 870 800 www.abc.org.uk