NRS Round-Up – National Newspapers (Apr-Sep’95)

The latest readership figures, for the period April to September this year, show readership of national newspapers declining compared to the same six- month period last year. Total readership last year was 95 million; this year it is just over 94 million; readership is down by 826,000 readers.

Most of the quality newspapers did manage to increase their Average Issue Readership, the most succcessful being the Times, up by 23.54% to 1,789,000; the Daily Telegraph’s readership was up by 3% to 2,734,000 and the Guardian’s was up by 0.88% to 1,259,000. The Independent lost 2.45% compared to last year’s April to September figure; this represents around 23,000 readers. The FT also lost readers, 8,000 or 1.1% taking its AIR to 710,000.

Apart from the Sunday Times, the quality Sundays lost readership compared to the previous year, the Sunday Telegraph and Observer faring worst, both losing around 10%. The Observer’s AIR, of 1,391,000 is its lowest so far this year; the revamp it underwent at the beginning of September which boosted its September ABC seems not to have had any effect yet on its readership figure. Of the mid-market papers, only the Mail on Sunday improved its AIR of last year, up by 2.5% to 5,824,000. The Daily Mail lost 30,000 readers on last year, but, as is to be expected from their continuing decline in circulation, the Express titles lost most in terms of readership year on year. The Daily Express lost nearly 8% or 262,000 year on year, the Sunday Express nearly 9% and 390,000 readers, leaving both titles dangerously close to falling below the 3 and 4 million mark respectively.

Today also lost readership, down by 6.6% on last ear to 1,679,000, although this represents an improvement on March to August’s figure of 1,665,000. The Evening Standard, however, recorded increases in readership against both the previous period and year on year; it was up by 3% to 1.133m readers for September.

Of the popular newspapers, the Daily Star has faired best in terms of readership; its 6-monthly AIR for April to September is up by 12.3% year on year to 2,331,000 or 255,000 readers; this is its highest readership figure so far this year.

The Sun, at well over the 10 million readers mark also recorded its best figure so far this year, at 10,319,000, an increase of 0.39% on last year, or 41,000 readers. The Daily Mirror, despite recording a loss of 195,000 readers on last year’s readership figure to 6,563,000 also recorded its highest AIR so far this year.

The Sunday Sport and Sunday Mirror have both lost readership, but the remaining popular Sundays, the People and the News of the World, both improved performance year on year. The News of the World remains by far the best read newspaper, its latest figure up by 111,000 readers on last year to 12.243 million. The People added a further 213,000 readers to a total AIR of 5.520 million.