NRS Commentary Jul-Dec 94

National Daily Newspapers

Among the national daily newspapers, only the News International titles recorded year on year increases in their Average Issue Readership estimates for July to December 1994. The affects of the newspaper price war are again apparent, with the Times AIR increasing by 22.1% year on year to 1,558,000, and the Sun up by 5.2% to 9,999,000.

The only other title to not record a decrease against last year was the Daily Mail, which remained constant at 4,400,000. The Independent fared worst, losing 21.3% year on year to well below the million mark, at 886,000. The Guardian, which lost 19% in the August to September 94 AIR release, continued to fare badly, down 10.3% to 1,286,000. Also decreasing more than 10% was the Daily Mirror, down 12.2% year on year to 6,492,000. The Daily Express, the Daily Star and the Evening Standard all recorded decreases year on year of more than 6%.

The Average Issue Readership figures for the Sunday Nationals also show a general decline compared to last year, with only the Sunday Telegraph, the Sunday Times and the Sunday Sport showing any increases. The Sunday Telegraph’s AIR was up by 10.7% to over the 2 million mark, at 2,061,000; the Sunday Times’ AIR was up by 1.4% to 3,918,000 and the Sunday Sport was up by 0.5% to 916,000.

Faring worst among the Sunday titles, like its weekday sister, was the Independent on Sunday, whose AIR dropped by 24.3% to below the million mark at 989,000. No other Sunday title recorded a decrease of more than 10% year on year. The News of the World, Sunday Mirror and Mail on Sunday all dropped around 2% year on year, with the Observer losing 5.2% , the People 6.6% and the Sunday Express 8.5%.

General Weeklies

Among the general weeklies magazines the top 7 have Average Issue Readership estimates of over 1 million for July to December 1994; 5 of these are TV listings titles, two of which, Whats on TV and TV & Satellite Week, have both recorded increases in their AIRs of over 15%. Auto Trader and Exchange and Mart, while still remaining amongst the highest read general weeklies both recorded decreases in their AIRs, Auto Trader down 10.8% and Exchange & Mart down 20.9%. This follows the trend of previous period AIR results, when Whats On TV and TV & Satellite Week recorded significant gains.

Top 7 General Weeklies

Of the general weeklies overall, TV & Satellite Week recorded the highest increase in its Average Issue Readership estimate. Time Out also increased its readership by 28.6% to 630,000. Among those general weeklies who fared worst were Time International, with an annual AIR of 224,000, a decrease of 24.6% on last year’s estimate.

General Monthlies

Readers Digest is still the largest read title in this sector by over three million despite a fall in AIR of 8.7% for Jul-Dec to 5,635,000. Sky, over who’s AIR there has been some controversy, has the next highest AIR after Readers Digest, at 2,582,000; an increase of 6.2% on last year. The NRS have changed Sky’s prompt card to ensure that the high readership figures enjoyed by Sky are not a result of any confusion with Satellite listings guides, but as the card was not altered until October the results of this will not be apparent until the October-March figures.

BBC Top Gear, recording its first NRS figure, is in the top 5 general monthlies, with an AIR of 1,738,000, the highest figure of any BBC monthly title. BBC Gardeners World and BBC Good Food both recorded increases in their AIRs year on year, but BBC Holidays and BBC Music Magazine both recorded decreases, down 18.2% and 33.2% respectively.

The male interest sector’s Average Issue Readership estimates reflect the growing market as much as the latest ABC circulations; Nat Mag’s Esquire recorded a massive increase on last year’s estimated figure, up 60.2% to 447,000; GQ also increased by over 10% to 584,000, with Arena the only in the sector to have a lower AIR than last year, down 3.9% to 298,000.

MALE INTEREST

Among the gardening sector, Gardener recorded the highest increase in AIR year on year, up 12.6% to 303,000. BBC Gardener’s World has by far the highest readership in the sector, at 1,686,000, up 7.7% year on year. IPC’s Your Garden fared the worst in the sector, down 38.1% to 268,000.

There were a substantial number of general monthlies who recorded decreases compared to last year’s AIR estimates; among those who fared worse were Focus, down 42.3%, New DIY down 38.1%, BBC Music Magazine down 33.2% and Here’s Health, down 32.5%.

Women’s Weeklies

Among the women’s weeklies sector, the top 3 highest read titles remain Take a Break, Womans Own and Bella. IPC’s Womans Own, the second highest read title recorded the highest increase of the sector, up 7% on last year’s AIR to 3,553,000. Just Seventeen also fared well, up 4.8% year on year to 783,000. DC Thomson’s My Weekly increased its AIR by 2.1%; other titles to record higher AIR’s than in 1993 include Chat, Woman’s Realm and Woman.

Women’s Weeklies, ranked by highest readership.

Women’s Monthlies

There are 12 women’s monthlies with AIRs of over 1 million; Good Housekeeping remains the best read title, with a readership of 2,124,000. This is a decrease year on year of 7%. Gruner + Jahr’s Prima, which also recorded a decrease, of 9%, is behind with an AIR of 2,054,000.

The title which recorded the best increase year on year is Marie Claire, up 23.6% to 1,331,000. Period Living and Company both recorded increases of over 21% year on year. Other titles to fare well include Elle, which with an increase of 8% year on year brought its readership to over the million mark for the first time ever.

Those titles which fared worst include OK, which recorded a decrease of 44.1% year on year to 193,000. Top Sante Health and Beauty decreased its AIR by 36.8% to 424,000. Home and Country also dropped by more than 30%, down to 287,000.

Top Women’s Monthlies