Qualities The January-June’92 ABCs for national newspapers show the total circulation of the quality market to have fallen by 1.9%, from 5,312,475 to 5,210,743.
The Sunday Times faired best among the quality titles. The paper increased its circulation by 2.2% on January-June’91, with a figure of 1,202,651. The monthly ABC’s show the Sunday Times to have lifted its circulation by almost 80,000 on May’92. This has been attributed to the paper’s serialisation of a certain contraversial book about a member of the Royal Family.
Aside from the Sunday Times the only other quality to record an increase was the FT, up by 1.1% on January-June’91, with a figure of 291,915. The Independent on Sunday remained stable with a circulation of 385,142.
At the other end of the scale the Observer experienced a drop in circulation of 6.6% to 540,918.
Mid Markets The Sunday Express’ last 6 months as a broadsheet newspaper saw a year-on-year circulation increase of 4.2% to 1,691,716. The Mail on Sunday achieved a more moderate increase of 1.0%, although its circulation is still considerably higher than its rival at 1,960,130.
Today showed signs of a recovery, with an increase of 1.1% on January-June’91. However, its circulation of 495,405 is still less than a third of either the Daily Mail or Daily Express’ figures.
Populars All the populars continued to lose circulation in this period, with the market as whole dropping by 3.6%.
The Sunday Sport’s circulation plummeted again, down by 14.9% year-on- year. Its monthly figure for June went below 300,000 for the first time, to 294,565. Other popular tiles to lose substantial amounts of circulation were the People, down 8.9%, and the Daily Star, down 8.0%.
The Sunday Mirror and the News of the World experienced less dramatic falls of 1.3% and 1.7%.
General June was a relatively quiet month for for the national newspapers in terms of launches and promotions.
News International announced the Sunday Times and News of the World are to carry a supplement called Shoppers’ Friend later in the year. It will be an insert entirely devoted to money-off vouchers.
Also during June the Sunday Express appeared in broadsheet format for the last time, the flotation of the Telegraph was launched and the long awaited accounts for Mirror Group Newspapers were released.
Press self-regulation was threatened when the Press Complaints Commission issued a warning over coverage of the Royal Family.
The Observer made 25 of its staff redundant. While, on a more encouraging note the Daily Mail and General Trust Group announced a 28% increase in pre- tax profits for the 6-months to March.
Express Newspapers decentralised its sales force to concentrate efforts onto individual titles and the Sport’s ad director, Ian St James, left the company.
