No regional dailies put on print sales year on year in the second half of 2012 as the average rate of decline stood at 8.2 per cent.
Despite circulation dropping 11.4 per cent year on year – the Wolverhampton-based Express and Star remained the top selling regional title in the country with total circulation of 100,244 a day. But its paid-for sale (excluding free copies) was just under 96,000.
None of Archant’s four daily titles: the Ipswich Star, Norwich Evening News, Eastern Daily Press or East Anglian Daily Times have posted ABC certificates yet.
Last week Archant revealed that its Norfolk circulation director had been sacked after irregularities were discovered while he was on holiday.
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A year ago the Norwich Evening News and Eastern Daily Press were two out of only three daily titles national to put sales on year on year.
The Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Press and Star were two of the best perfoming titles in the UK with circulation down just 1 per cent year on year.
The Western Morning News in Plymouth also performed well with a decline of just 2.4 per cent keeping its fully paid-for circulation above 30,000.
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The Nottingham Post was the biggest faller (aside from the Doncaster edition of the Star) dropping 13.3 per cent year on year to 30,646 copies a day.
The Manchester Evening News was also a big faller, dropping 13.2 per cent to 78,984 copies a day (of which just under 53,000 copies were paid-for sales)
There were 81 UK daily newspapers audited by ABC in the period (including the four excluded Archant titles) compared with 86 a year ago as titles changed from daily to weekly circulation.
Below are three tables ranking the titles by total circulation, circulation growth and in alphabetical order.
Regional dailies ranked by total circulation in the first half of 2012 (source ABC)
Name of title : percentage paid-for ; percentage change year on year
Express & Star (West Midlands) : 100,244 ; 95.7% Paid ; -11.4%
Liverpool Echo : 80,762 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.5%
Manchester Evening News : 78,984 ; 66.7% Paid ; -13.2%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal : 68,659 ; 99.2% Paid ; -3.4%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser : 56,243 ; 98.8% Paid ; -9.3%
Belfast Telegraph : 53,847 ; 79.2% Paid ; -9.2%
Shropshire Star : 49,751 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.5%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Evening Chronicle : 49,199 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.3%
Glasgow – Evening Times : 45,942 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.3%
Leicester Mercury : 45,465 ; 99.2% Paid ; -11.1%
The Sentinel : 45,343 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.7%
Aberdeen – Evening Express : 43,067 ; 99.7% Paid ; -10.0%
Birmingham Mail : 42,252 ; 95.2% Paid ; -10.5%
Irish News – Morning : 42,084 ; 99.8% Paid ; -3.6%
Hull Daily Mail : 41,222 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.3%
Darlington – The Northern Echo : 38,479 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.6%
Leeds – Yorkshire Post : 37,833 ; 96.6% Paid ; -4.7%
Portsmouth – News & Sports Mail : 37,257 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.1%
Teesside – Evening Gazette : 36,986 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.8%
South Wales Evening Post : 36,623 ; 98.0% Paid ; -8.8%
Edinburgh – Evening News : 35,611 ; 98.7% Paid ; -10.9%
Sheffield Star & Green ‘Un : 35,089 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.8%
Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post : 33,805 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Bristol Evening Post : 33,784 ; 97.6% Paid ; -11.9%
Coventry Telegraph : 31,064 ; 93.7% Paid ; -9.6%
Nottingham Post : 30,648 ; 100.0% Paid ; -13.3%
Daily Post (Wales) : 30,585 ; 100.0% Paid ; -3.8%
Plymouth – Western Morning News : 30,325 ; 100.0% Paid ; -2.4%
Cardiff – South Wales Echo – Evening : 30,178 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.9%
Derby Telegraph : 30,137 ; 99.6% Paid ; -6.9%
Southampton – Southern Daily Echo : 29,973 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.2%
Sunderland Echo & Football Echo : 29,366 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.6%
Southend – Basildon – Castle Point – Echo : 29,125 ; 100.0% Paid ; -3.3%
Plymouth – The Herald : 26,803 ; 99.1% Paid ; -9.8%
Bristol – Western Daily Press : 26,053 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.0%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning : 25,435 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.6%
Bournemouth – The Daily Echo : 24,825 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
York – The Press : 24,312 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.5%
Bradford – Telegraph & Argus : 24,163 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.7%
Grimsby Telegraph : 23,791 ; 99.6% Paid ; -8.4%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal : 23,291 ; 100.0% Paid ; -11.4%
Dundee Evening Telegraph : 22,496 ; 99.2% Paid ; -4.8%
The Argus Brighton : 22,399 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.2%
Ulster – News Letter : 22,198 ; 98.5% Paid ; -5.5%
South Wales Argus – Evening : 21,437 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.1%
Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn : 20,870 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.3%
Lancashire Evening Post : 20,379 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.1%
Cambridge News : 19,860 ; 87.4% Paid ; -5.4%
The Bolton News : 19,740 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.0%
The Gazette – Blackpool : 19,185 ; 100.0% Paid ; -13.1%
Huddersfield Daily Examiner : 18,971 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.6%
The Citizen : 18,501 ; 99.5% Paid ; -7.1%
Jersey Evening Post : 17,912 ; 97.9% Paid ; -1.0%
Oxford Mail : 17,556 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.9%
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph – Kettering : 17,018 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.2%
Swindon Advertiser : 16,837 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.8%
Dorset Echo : 16,313 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.4%
The Leader (Wrexham, Flintshire & Chester) : 15,314 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.1%
Colchester – Daily Gazette : 15,259 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.6%
Northampton Chronicle & Echo : 15,197 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Guernsey Press & Star : 15,013 ; 92.9% Paid ; -1.0%
Gloucestershire Echo : 14,999 ; 98.7% Paid ; -5.6%
Halifax Courier : 14,272 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.4%
Peterborough Evening Telegraph : 13,834 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.5%
South Shields – Shields Gazette : 13,720 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.5%
Greenock Telegraph : 13,470 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.1%
Worcester News : 13,305 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.2%
Barrow – North West Evening Mail : 12,884 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.8%
Oldham Evening Chronicle : 12,849 ; 99.8% Paid ; -11.1%
Hartlepool Mail : 12,789 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.9%
Burton Mail : 11,612 ; 99.5% Paid ; -4.8%
Carlisle – News and Star East : 11,271 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.3%
Scarborough Evening News : 9,914 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.5%
Paisley Daily Express : 6,887 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.6%
Wigan Evening Post : 6,213 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.4%
Carlisle – News and Star West : 4,302 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.9%
Doncaster Star : 1,931 ; 100.0% Paid ; -17.0%
Regional dailies ranked by year-on-year circulation in the first half of 2012 (source ABC)
Name of title : percentage paid-for ; percentage change year on year
Jersey Evening Post : 17,912 ; 97.9% Paid ; -1.0%
Guernsey Press & Star : 15,013 ; 92.9% Paid ; -1.0%
Plymouth – Western Morning News : 30,325 ; 100.0% Paid ; -2.4%
Southend – Basildon – Castle Point – Echo : 29,125 ; 100.0% Paid ; -3.3%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal : 68,659 ; 99.2% Paid ; -3.4%
Irish News – Morning : 42,084 ; 99.8% Paid ; -3.6%
Daily Post (Wales) : 30,585 ; 100.0% Paid ; -3.8%
Leeds – Yorkshire Post : 37,833 ; 96.6% Paid ; -4.7%
Dundee Evening Telegraph : 22,496 ; 99.2% Paid ; -4.8%
Burton Mail : 11,612 ; 99.5% Paid ; -4.8%
The Leader (Wrexham, Flintshire & Chester) : 15,314 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.1%
Hull Daily Mail : 41,222 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.3%
Cambridge News : 19,860 ; 87.4% Paid ; -5.4%
Liverpool Echo : 80,762 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.5%
Ulster – News Letter : 22,198 ; 98.5% Paid ; -5.5%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning : 25,435 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.6%
Colchester – Daily Gazette : 15,259 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.6%
Gloucestershire Echo : 14,999 ; 98.7% Paid ; -5.6%
Sheffield Star & Green ‘Un : 35,089 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.8%
Greenock Telegraph : 13,470 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.1%
Southampton – Southern Daily Echo : 29,973 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.2%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Evening Chronicle : 49,199 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.3%
Dorset Echo : 16,313 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.4%
York – The Press : 24,312 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.5%
Darlington – The Northern Echo : 38,479 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.6%
Swindon Advertiser : 16,837 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.8%
Derby Telegraph : 30,137 ; 99.6% Paid ; -6.9%
The Citizen : 18,501 ; 99.5% Paid ; -7.1%
Worcester News : 13,305 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.2%
Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post : 33,805 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Bournemouth – The Daily Echo : 24,825 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Northampton Chronicle & Echo : 15,197 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Huddersfield Daily Examiner : 18,971 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.6%
Cardiff – South Wales Echo – Evening : 30,178 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.9%
Oxford Mail : 17,556 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.9%
Bristol – Western Daily Press : 26,053 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.0%
South Wales Argus – Evening : 21,437 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.1%
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph – Kettering : 17,018 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.2%
Carlisle – News and Star East : 11,271 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.3%
Grimsby Telegraph : 23,791 ; 99.6% Paid ; -8.4%
Paisley Daily Express : 6,887 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.6%
Teesside – Evening Gazette : 36,986 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.8%
South Wales Evening Post : 36,623 ; 98.0% Paid ; -8.8%
Barrow – North West Evening Mail : 12,884 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.8%
Belfast Telegraph : 53,847 ; 79.2% Paid ; -9.2%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser : 56,243 ; 98.8% Paid ; -9.3%
Halifax Courier : 14,272 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.4%
South Shields – Shields Gazette : 13,720 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.5%
Scarborough Evening News : 9,914 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.5%
Coventry Telegraph : 31,064 ; 93.7% Paid ; -9.6%
Bradford – Telegraph & Argus : 24,163 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.7%
Plymouth – The Herald : 26,803 ; 99.1% Paid ; -9.8%
Hartlepool Mail : 12,789 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.9%
Aberdeen – Evening Express : 43,067 ; 99.7% Paid ; -10.0%
The Bolton News : 19,740 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.0%
Portsmouth – News & Sports Mail : 37,257 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.1%
The Argus Brighton : 22,399 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.2%
Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn : 20,870 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.3%
Shropshire Star : 49,751 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.5%
Birmingham Mail : 42,252 ; 95.2% Paid ; -10.5%
Peterborough Evening Telegraph : 13,834 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.5%
Sunderland Echo & Football Echo : 29,366 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.6%
The Sentinel : 45,343 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.7%
Edinburgh – Evening News : 35,611 ; 98.7% Paid ; -10.9%
Leicester Mercury : 45,465 ; 99.2% Paid ; -11.1%
Oldham Evening Chronicle : 12,849 ; 99.8% Paid ; -11.1%
Express & Star (West Midlands) : 100,244 ; 95.7% Paid ; -11.4%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal : 23,291 ; 100.0% Paid ; -11.4%
Bristol Evening Post : 33,784 ; 97.6% Paid ; -11.9%
Lancashire Evening Post : 20,379 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.1%
Glasgow – Evening Times : 45,942 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.3%
Wigan Evening Post : 6,213 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.4%
Carlisle – News and Star West : 4,302 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.9%
The Gazette – Blackpool : 19,185 ; 100.0% Paid ; -13.1%
Manchester Evening News : 78,984 ; 66.7% Paid ; -13.2%
Nottingham Post : 30,648 ; 100.0% Paid ; -13.3%
Doncaster Star : 1,931 ; 100.0% Paid ; -17.0%
Regional dailies listed alphabetically with circulation perfmance for the first half of 2012 (source ABC)
Name of title : percentage paid-for ; percentage change year on year
Aberdeen – Evening Express : 43,067 ; 99.7% Paid ; -10.0%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal : 68,659 ; 99.2% Paid ; -3.4%
Barrow – North West Evening Mail : 12,884 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.8%
Belfast Telegraph : 53,847 ; 79.2% Paid ; -9.2%
Birmingham Mail : 42,252 ; 95.2% Paid ; -10.5%
Bournemouth – The Daily Echo : 24,825 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Bradford – Telegraph & Argus : 24,163 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.7%
Bristol – Western Daily Press : 26,053 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.0%
Bristol Evening Post : 33,784 ; 97.6% Paid ; -11.9%
Burton Mail : 11,612 ; 99.5% Paid ; -4.8%
Cambridge News : 19,860 ; 87.4% Paid ; -5.4%
Cardiff – South Wales Echo – Evening : 30,178 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.9%
Carlisle – News and Star East : 11,271 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.3%
Carlisle – News and Star West : 4,302 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.9%
Colchester – Daily Gazette : 15,259 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.6%
Coventry Telegraph : 31,064 ; 93.7% Paid ; -9.6%
Daily Post (Wales) : 30,585 ; 100.0% Paid ; -3.8%
Darlington – The Northern Echo : 38,479 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.6%
Derby Telegraph : 30,137 ; 99.6% Paid ; -6.9%
Doncaster Star : 1,931 ; 100.0% Paid ; -17.0%
Dorset Echo : 16,313 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.4%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser : 56,243 ; 98.8% Paid ; -9.3%
Dundee Evening Telegraph : 22,496 ; 99.2% Paid ; -4.8%
Edinburgh – Evening News : 35,611 ; 98.7% Paid ; -10.9%
Express & Star (West Midlands) : 100,244 ; 95.7% Paid ; -11.4%
Glasgow – Evening Times : 45,942 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.3%
Gloucestershire Echo : 14,999 ; 98.7% Paid ; -5.6%
Greenock Telegraph : 13,470 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.1%
Grimsby Telegraph : 23,791 ; 99.6% Paid ; -8.4%
Guernsey Press & Star : 15,013 ; 92.9% Paid ; -1.0%
Halifax Courier : 14,272 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.4%
Hartlepool Mail : 12,789 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.9%
Huddersfield Daily Examiner : 18,971 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.6%
Hull Daily Mail : 41,222 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.3%
Irish News – Morning : 42,084 ; 99.8% Paid ; -3.6%
Jersey Evening Post : 17,912 ; 97.9% Paid ; -1.0%
Lancashire Evening Post : 20,379 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.1%
Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn : 20,870 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.3%
Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post : 33,805 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Leeds – Yorkshire Post : 37,833 ; 96.6% Paid ; -4.7%
Leicester Mercury : 45,465 ; 99.2% Paid ; -11.1%
Liverpool Echo : 80,762 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.5%
Manchester Evening News : 78,984 ; 66.7% Paid ; -13.2%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Evening Chronicle : 49,199 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.3%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal : 23,291 ; 100.0% Paid ; -11.4%
Northampton Chronicle & Echo : 15,197 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.4%
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph – Kettering : 17,018 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.2%
Nottingham Post : 30,648 ; 100.0% Paid ; -13.3%
Oldham Evening Chronicle : 12,849 ; 99.8% Paid ; -11.1%
Oxford Mail : 17,556 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.9%
Paisley Daily Express : 6,887 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.6%
Peterborough Evening Telegraph : 13,834 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.5%
Plymouth – The Herald : 26,803 ; 99.1% Paid ; -9.8%
Plymouth – Western Morning News : 30,325 ; 100.0% Paid ; -2.4%
Portsmouth – News & Sports Mail : 37,257 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.1%
Scarborough Evening News : 9,914 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.5%
Sheffield Star & Green ‘Un : 35,089 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.8%
Shropshire Star : 49,751 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.5%
South Shields – Shields Gazette : 13,720 ; 100.0% Paid ; -9.5%
South Wales Argus – Evening : 21,437 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.1%
South Wales Evening Post : 36,623 ; 98.0% Paid ; -8.8%
Southampton – Southern Daily Echo : 29,973 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.2%
Southend – Basildon – Castle Point – Echo : 29,125 ; 100.0% Paid ; -3.3%
Sunderland Echo & Football Echo : 29,366 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.6%
Swindon Advertiser : 16,837 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.8%
Teesside – Evening Gazette : 36,986 ; 100.0% Paid ; -8.8%
The Argus Brighton : 22,399 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.2%
The Bolton News : 19,740 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.0%
The Citizen : 18,501 ; 99.5% Paid ; -7.1%
The Gazette – Blackpool : 19,185 ; 100.0% Paid ; -13.1%
The Leader (Wrexham, Flintshire & Chester) : 15,314 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.1%
The Sentinel : 45,343 ; 100.0% Paid ; -10.7%
Ulster – News Letter : 22,198 ; 98.5% Paid ; -5.5%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning : 25,435 ; 100.0% Paid ; -5.6%
Wigan Evening Post : 6,213 ; 100.0% Paid ; -12.4%
Worcester News : 13,305 ; 100.0% Paid ; -7.2%
York – The Press : 24,312 ; 100.0% Paid ; -6.5%
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