Newspapers World's Second Largest Ad Medium

Newspapers World's Second Largest Ad Medium

According to the World Association of Newspapers Newspaper recent release, global newspaper sales were up 2.3 percent in 2006, and had increased 9.48 percent over the past five years. Newspaper sales increased year-on-year in Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, with North America the sole continent to register a decline.
When free dailies are added to the paid newspaper circulation, global circulation increased 4.61 percent last year, and 14.76 percent over the past five years. Free dailies now account for nearly 8 percent of all global newspaper circulation and 31.94 percent in Europe alone. Advertising revenues in paid dailies were up 3.77 percent last year from a year earlier, and up 15.77 percent over five years, WAN said.

Timothy Balding, Chief Executive Officer of the Paris-based WAN, said "Newspapers in developing markets continue to increase circulation... and in mature markets are showing remarkable resilience against... digital media... (while) newspapers are exploiting...the digital distribution channels to increase their audiences... It is remarkable that the press in print continues to be the media of preference for the majority of readers who want to remain informed."

Newspapers share of the world ad market held relatively steady with 29.6 percent, marginally down from 29.8 percent in 2005. Newspapers remain the world's second largest advertising medium, after television, with more revenue that radio, cinema, outdoor, magazines and the internet combined. When newspapers and magazines are combined, print is the world's largest advertising medium, with a 42 percent share, compared to 38 percent for television.

In addition, the 2007 World Press Trends report reveals:

Paid circulation, with free dailies added, daily circulation increased to nearly 556 million, a4.61 percent increase from the total of paid and free dailies in 2005.
The total number of paid-for daily titles was up 3.46 percent in the world in 2006 and up 17.67 percent since 2002 to a record 11,207 titles.
Newspaper advertising revenue increased 3.77 percent in 2006 from a year earlier, and was up 15.77 percent over five years.
Paid daily newspaper circulations were up in 31 percent of the countries surveyed in 2006, stable in half the countries and down in 19 percent.
The circulation of US dailies fell 1.9 percent in 2006 and 5.18 percent over five years. Most of the decline came in evening dailies, which saw a year-on-year circulation decline of 4.62 percent, compared with only 1.48 percent for morning dailies. Over the past five years, evening dailies declined 19.62 percent, compared with a 2.52 percent drop for morning newspapers.
Circulation sales were up 3.61 percent in Asia in 2006 over the previous year, up 4.55 percent in South America, up 0.74 percent in Europe, up +0.65 percent in Africa, up 2.11 percent in Australia and Oceania.
Seven of 10 of the world's 100 best selling dailies are now published in Asia. China, Japan and India account for 60 of them.
The five largest markets for newspapers are: China, with 98.7 million copies sold daily; India, with 88.9 million copies daily; Japan, with 69.1 million copies daily; the United States, with 52.3 million; and Germany, 21.1 million.
Newspapers in 10 European Union countries increased their total circulation in 2006. They were: Austria, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia.
The number of paid-for newspaper titles in the EU climbed 0.41 percent in 2006, to 1,482, and was up 3.2 percent over five years. When paid and free titles are combined, the number of titles rose 2.57 percent over one year and 8.44 percent over five years.
Global newspaper advertising revenues have increased for four straight years and were up 3.77 percent in 2006.

BPA Eases Rules for Qualified Circ, Non-Paid Subs

BPA Eases Rules for Qualified Circ, Non-Paid Subs
Lucia Moses
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003597780
JUNE 12, 2007 -

BPA Worldwide has widened its definition of qualified continuous circulation, requiring that publications serve recipients at least three months in a row, regardless of the number of issues. Previously, publications with 14 or fewer issues per year had to serve recipients at least six months in a row. Along with that change, publications also may serve up to 5 percent of total qualified circ for less than three months without disclosing it.

The revised rule, which applies to both business and consumer publications, was approved recently by the BPA board and took effect in June.

The board also approved a new service, called a Distribution Audit, to verify distribution for non-editorial media products, like product listings and coupon publications.

In other changes, the board broadened the definition of non-paid subscriptions, ruling that a publication no longer has to be the official publication of an association to be a non-paid subscription that’s reported as a benefit of membership in the association. To qualify, the association must state that the publication is a membership benefit, though.

The board also allowed publications to report as nonqualified their digital copies that went to advertisers and ad agencies.