ABC Regional Newspapers: Jan-Jun 2007

The latest regional ABC figures, for January – June 2007, show that all of the top ten paid regional newspaper titles suffered declining circulations for the period.

The largest real term decline in the top ten was felt by the Manchester Evening News & The Pink, down more than 30,200 copies year on year.

Within the paid regional newspaper groups, only one of the top ten recorded a year on year increase, as was the case within the top ten free regional newspaper groups.

Only the Sunday World – All Editions Group recorded a year on year increase in the paid regional newspaper groups category, up around 3%.

It remained the paid group with the highest total circulation figure, at just under 282,800. In second place was the Kent Messenger Weekly Newspaper Group at around 145,400, although it was down by more than 4,800 copies year on year.

The largest circulation decline in the top ten was felt by the Cornish Weekly Newspapers Group, which experienced a downturn of over 9,000 copies year on year, taking its total below the 100,000 mark.

Another relatively large decline was suffered by the Chester Chronicle Group, which shed around 6,300 copies from its total year on year, leaving its circulation at around 76,000.

All of the top ten paid regional newspaper titles were down for the six-month period, with the Manchester Evening News & The Pink hit the hardest, falling by more than 25%.

The Manchester Evening News has a hybrid distribution model. It is given away in the City Centre, and is sold in the suburbs.

The West Midlands Express & Star remained in the number one spot despite experiencing a circulation downturn of almost 6,400 year on year. Its total now rests at around 144,900.

There was also a relatively large decline for the Liverpool Echo in second place. It shed almost 8,400 copies year on year to leave its total at more than 113,100.

The Newcastle Evening Chronicle lost over 5,600 copies from its total figure year on year, leaving it with a circulation of almost 80,700, whilst the Belfast Telegraph and Dublin Evening Herald were down by around 4,900 and 4,800 copies respectively.

The Belfast Telegraph now commands a total circulation of just over 85,900, whilst the Dublin Evening Herald‘s circulation rests at around 82,800.

The honour of having the smallest year on year decline within the top ten went to the Glasgow Evening Times, down by around 1,200 copies.

There were also year on year circulation declines for the Aberdeen Press & Journal and Dundee Courier & Advertiser, of 2,200 and almost 2,500 copies respectively, whilst the Birmingham Mail shed more than 3,800 copies, to leave it with a total of over 74,000.

Of the free regional newspaper groups, Northcliffe Media suffered a large circulation loss, shedding almost 199,000 copies year on year.

However, the ABC figures show that Northcliffe had by far the highest circulation in the sector at almost 2.3 million. In second place, MEN Weekly Free Newspapers Group had a total of around 735,800.

LSN Full Group was the only free regional newspaper group from the top ten largest free groups to record a year on year increase, of almost 14%, equating to around 49,000 copies in real terms.

Elsewhere, large declines were felt by KM Extra Group (Kent), down by almost 25,900 copies year on year to around 632,600, and Adscene Group, down by almost 34,300 copies year on year to almost 323,600.

Midland News Association Group, Chronicle Newspapers Group, and Informer Group all shed around 21,000 copies year on year, whilst Newsquest Midlands South was down by 0.5% to nearly 350,100.

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