Regional newspaper publisher Newsquest suffered a 36.9% year on year fall in advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2009.
However, Newsquest said that June was its strongest month since the start of the advertising slump.
Classified advertising fell 45.2% year-on-year fall in the second quarter. Within classifieds, recruitment ad revenue fell 55.6%, property ads fell 52.7% and automotive ads dropped by 43.5%.
“In our publishing segment, while advertising comparisons remain difficult, second quarter year-over-year comparisons improved versus the first-quarter comparisons and June was our best comparison month thus far this year,” said Gracia Martore, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Newsquest’s US parent company Gannett.
Gannett’s operating revenues from publishing activity in the UK and US were $1.1bn (£670m) in the second quarter, down 25% year on year.
Advertising revenue was $753m, 32% down. Retail ads fell 23.7%, national display ads fell 22.4% and classifieds were down 44.9%.
