The circulation performance of the UK’s regional morning newspapers was slightly improved in the last six months of 2007, compared with the last period.
In total the 15 titles audited as “mornings” sold 656,243 copies on average per day – down 3.6 per cent year on-year. This compares with a year-on-year decline the last time ABC figures were announced, six months ago, of 3.9 per cent.
Although no titles put on sales year-on-year – the best performers were the Northern Echo (down 0.8 per cent to 50,256), the Irish News in Belfast (down 1.5 per cent to 47,790) and the Birmingham Post (down 2.1 per cent to 12,549). The Liverpool Daily Post was down 8.9 per cent to 15,581 following its move to distribute free copies in the city centre. It now distributes 6,500 for free bringing the combined total to more than 22,000.
Although many traditional “evening” papers are now printed overnight and have effectively becoming mornings, the established morning titles – which are generally more up-market than the evenings – are audited seperately by ABC.
Regional mornings ABC performance for the last six months of 2007
Birmingham Post (Mon-Sat): 12,549, down -2.1%
Bristol – Western Daily Press (Mon-Sat) 41,639, down 4.3%
Darlington – The Northern Echo (Mon-Sat) 50,256, down 0.8%
Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times (Mon-Sat) 34,392, down 3.9%
Leeds – Yorkshire Post (Mon-Sat) 49,031, down 5.3%
Liverpool Daily Post (Mon-Sat) 15,581, down 8.9%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal (Mon-Sat) 35,476, down 6.2%
Norwich – Eastern Daily Press (Mon-Sat) 64,700, down 3.4%
Plymouth – Western Morning News (Mon-Sat) 41,154, down 4.4%
Daily Post (Wales) (Mon-Sat) 36,432, down 5.0%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning (Mon-Sat) 37,576, down 5.5%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal (Mon-Sat) 80,177, down 2.6%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser (Mon-Sat) 73,485, down 2.6%
Paisley Daily Express (Mon-Sat) 9,528, down 4.5%
Irish News – Morning (Mon-Sat) 47,790, down 1.5%
Ulster – News Letter (Mon-Sat) 26,477, down 2.7%
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