ABC Regional Newspapers – Jul-Dec 2003

The latest ABC regional newspaper figures for the six months to December 2003 reveal an unsettled period for the top ten paid regional newspaper groups. The strongest performance came once again from the Kent Messenger Weekly Newspaper Group, which saw the total circulation of its titles increase by a solid 5.4% year on year to just below the 160,000 mark. The smaller Cornish Weekly Newspaper Group also performed well with a 2.6% improvement during the same period to 117,512. Meanwhile, Celtic Newspapers Group inched up by 2.3% year on year to 97,464.

At the other end of the scale, the Surrey Advertiser All Papers Group saw the total circulation of its titles decline by 6.1% year on year to below the physiologically important 100,000 mark. The Chester Chronicle Group also suffered with a 5.6% drop during the same period to 90,007 and the larger West Midlands Express & Star Group (Sat) fell by 2.7% year on year to 165,121.

It was a disappointing three months for the top ten paid regional newspaper titles, with all but one title seeing circulation decline in year on year analysis. The Sunday World – Republic of Ireland Edition was by far the front runner, notching up a 1.4% increase on last year’s totals and gaining it prestige status as the only title to nudge into positive figures.

Manchester Evening News (Sat) was next in line, with a comparatively small loss of 0.8% on last year’s circulation, while another Saturday newspaper, West Midlands Express & Star – Saturday Edition, escaped with a loss of just 2.6%. The biggest drop within the top ten was made by the Birmingham Evening Mail, crashing 9.4% on last year’s total and losing 10,315 copies in real terms.

Free regional newspaper groups were hit heavily in the latest round of ABC results for the six months to December. Worst affected was Newsquest North London Group, which plummeted by 12.1% year on year to 512,497. Only marginally better was Yellow Advertiser Series, which slid by 11.6% during the same period to an overall circulation of just over 480,000. Trinity Mirror Southern dropped by 3% year on year to 1,206,761.

Those groups taking the least damage in the latest crop of results included KM Extra Group (Kent) with a 2% year on year swelling in circulation, Northcliffe Newspapers Group with a rise of 2.9% and Observer Standard Newspapers Limited Group, escaping with a relatively healthy year on year circulation increase of 6.3%.

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