Regional ABCs: MEN has top circulation but no dailies put on sales

The Manchester Evening News increased its circulation by 85.8 per cent year on year to 161,545 making it the country’s largest regional newspaper in terms of circulation after the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) included its free copies in the headline ABC figure for the first time.

The paper is given away free in the city centre (free copies now make up 52.2 per cent of its circulation) though it is still sold in Greater Manchester’s ten outlying boroughs.

The paper’s paid-for sale has declined from an average of 86,923 in the first six months of 2007 to 77,152 in the six months to June – a loss of 9,771 copies. The MEN’s overall free distribution appears to have shrunk also – the paper’s combined free and paid-for circulation in the first half of 2007 was almost 180,000.

Mark Rix, managing director of MEN Media, said: ‘We use a blend of the different media in our portfolio to reach our target audience and press is just one part of our integrated media strategy.

‘Rather than just increasing the number of papers we circulate, we look at how the market wants to receive news and then provide the most appropriate media channels.”

Aside from the MEN, only The Birmingham Postl increased its sales year on year with an average of 12,795, a rise of 0.8 per cent year on yeart, though only 66.5 per cent of copies were paid-for.

Excluding the MEN, the average circulation decline among the UK’s 88 regional daily newspapers was 5.2 per cent year on year.

The Wolverhampton Express & Star remained the country’s largest regional newspaper in terms of sales despite a 3.8 per cent drop, with a six-monthly sales average of 138,116.

Trinity Mirror‘s Liverpool Echo is still one of the biggest regional papers with average sales of 102,488, a decline of 3.7 per cent year on year.

But its sister title the Liverpool Daily Post posted a 10.7 per cent year-on-year drop in circulation – the biggest drop of any big city paper – with a daily average of 14,266, down from 15,581 at the end of December.

At Trinity’s Midlands titles, currently the the subject of a major multimedia reshuffle involving up to 65 editorial redundancies, the Birmingham Mail sold an average of 66,166, down 7.1 per cent year on year. Its morning sister title the Birmingam Post rose 0.9 per cent year on year to 12,795, but only 66.5 per cent of that figure is paid-for circulation.

Trinity Mirror‘s regional division managing director Georgina Harvey said: “Circulation remains challenging across the entire regional newspaper industry but it is within local and regional media that some of the most receptive audiences and some of the most exciting opportunities for growth lie.

“As a genuine cross-media business we are providing many more options and opportunities for readers and advertisers. Through the actions we are taking, our regional business is evolving into a true multimedia publisher of scale.”

Northcliffe Media‘s Hull Daily Mail, the Regional Press Awards daily newspaper of the year, has enjoyed increased interest thanks to Hull City FC’s remarkable promotion to the Premiership, but was down 5.7 per cent year on year to 56,287, though it was up 0.1 per cent period on period.

The Northern Echo in Darlington, which in June cut its five regional editions from five to two, covering the north and south of its patch, saw a slight year-on-year decline of 1.5 per cent with sales of 50,427, though it was 0.3 per cent up period on period.

Newcastle’s Evening Chronicle was down 6 per cent year on year to 71,878.

The Reading Evening Post, which in the last ABC figures suffered a 22.6 per cent year-on-year drop, increased its sale by 11.4 per cent period and period to 13,549 – a drop of just 0.8 per cent. Some 84.1 per cent of its circulation is paid for, with many copies given away for free.

Independent News & Media’s Belfast Telegraph suffered one of the biggest declines in the daily market and was down by 9.2 per cent to 75,964. The Bristol Evening Post lost 8.2 per cent of its circulation in the last year and is down to 49,386 from 53,770.

Both papers at Johnston Press‘s flagship Leeds newsroom suffered heavy losses – the Yorkshire Evening Post was down 7.2 per cent year on year to 53,262 while the Yorkshire Post was down 6.5 per cent to 47,760.

How the biggest dailies fared, ranked by total circulation:

Manchester Evening News: 161,545, up 85.8 per cent
Express & Star (West Midlands) (Series): 138,116, down 3.8 per cent
Liverpool Echo: 102,488, down 6.6 per cent
Aberdeen – Press & Journal (Series): 80,136, down 2.1 per cent
Belfast Telegraph (Series): 75,964, down 9.2 per cent
Glasgow – Evening Times: 72,535, down 8.4 per cent
Dundee Courier & Advertiser (Series): 72,527, down 3.2 per cent
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Evening Chronicle: 71,878, down 6 per cent
Shropshire Star (Series): 70,574, down 4.4 per cent
Leicester Mercury: 69,069, down 5.8 per cent
Birmingham Mail: 66,166, down 7.1 per cent

All Regional Dailies

Aberdeen – Evening Express: 53,130; 97.6%; Paid; year-on-year change: -2.9%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal (Series): 80,136; 97.6%; Paid; year-on-year change: -2.1%
Barrow – North West Evening Mail: 18,386; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.6%
Belfast Telegraph (Series): 75,964; 87.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -9.2%
Birmingham Mail: 66,166; 97.3%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.1%
Birmingham Post: 12,795; 66.5%; Paid; year-on-year change: 0.9%
Bournemouth – The Daily Echo: 32,085; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.4%
Bradford – Telegraph & Argus: 35,592; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.2%
Bristol – Western Daily Press: 40,432; 97.7%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.9%
Bristol Evening Post: 49,386; 97.5%; Paid; year-on-year change: -8.2%
Burton Mail: 14,509; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.5%
Cambridge Evening News: 26,462; 95.4%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.8%
Cardiff – South Wales Echo – Evening (Series): 44,624; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -9.0%
Carlisle – News and Star East: 16,203; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.1%
Carlisle – News and Star West: 6,423; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.5%
Colchester – Evening Gazette: 21,194; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.0%
Coventry Telegraph & The Pink: 46,297; 95.8%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.6%
Daily Post (Wales): 35,838; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.2%
Darlington – The Northern Echo: 50,427; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.5%
Derby Evening Telegraph: 41,799; 98.2%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.1%
Doncaster Star: 3,713; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -13.0%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser (Series): 72,527; 99.9%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.2%
Dundee Evening Telegraph: 24,533; 99.8%; Paid; year-on-year change: -0.4%
Edinburgh – Evening News: 49,208; 99.6%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.8%
Exeter – Express & Echo: 20,625; 99.1%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.9%
Express & Star (West Midlands) (Series): 138,116; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.8%
Glasgow – Evening Times: 72,535; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -8.4%
Gloucestershire Echo: 20,613; 97.7%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.9%
Greenock Telegraph: 17,070; 99.9%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.9%
Grimsby Telegraph: 33,678; 99.1%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.1%
Guernsey Press & Star: 16,023; 94.7%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.4%
Halifax – Evening Courier: 19,681; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.4%
Hartlepool Mail: 17,773; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.5%
Huddersfield Daily Examiner: 24,853; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.8%
Hull Daily Mail: 56,287; 99.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.7%
Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times: 34,055; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.2%
Ipswich – Evening Star: 19,319; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.9%
Irish News – Morning: 47,911; 99.9%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.4%
Jersey Evening Post: 21,098; 97.9%; Paid; year-on-year change: -0.2%
Lancashire Evening Post: 29,716; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.7%
Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn: 29,753; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.6%
Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post: 53,262; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.2%
Leeds – Yorkshire Post: 47,760; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.5%
Leicester Mercury: 69,069; 98.1%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.8%
Lincolnshire Echo: 21,565; 98.6%; Paid; year-on-year change: -7.2%
Liverpool Daily Post: 14,266; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -10.7%
Liverpool Echo: 102,488; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.6%
Manchester Evening News: 161,545; 52.2%; Free; 85.8%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Evening Chronicle: 71,878; 98.7%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.0%
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal: 34,370; 94.9%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.7%
Northampton Chronicle & Echo: 19,827; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.4%
Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph – Kettering: 22,231; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.6%
Norwich – Eastern Daily Press: 63,508; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.3%
Norwich – Eastern Evening News: 22,250; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.0%
Nottingham Evening Post: 55,507; 96.3%; Paid; year-on-year change: -8.6%
Oldham Evening Chronicle: 20,149; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -8.8%
Oxford Mail: 24,503; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.6%
Paisley Daily Express: 9,289; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.9%
Peterborough Evening Telegraph: 18,051; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.7%
Plymouth – The Herald: 36,236; 99.1%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.5%
Plymouth – Western Morning News: 39,561; 99.1%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.2%
Portsmouth – News & Sports Mail (Series): 53,159; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.3%
Reading Evening Post: 13,549; 84.1%; Paid; year-on-year change: -0.8%
Scarborough Evening News: 13,382; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.7%
Scunthorpe Telegraph: 20,132; 98.7%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.3%
Sheffield Star & Green ‘Un: 50,285; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.5%
Shropshire Star (Series): 70,574; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.4%
South Shields – Shields Gazette: 18,152; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.4%
South Wales Argus – Evening: 28,236; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.3%
South Wales Evening Post (Series): 51,269; 98.4%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.5%
Southampton – Southern Daily Echo: 38,974; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.7%
Southend – Basildon – Castle Point – Echo: 34,692; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.6%
Sunderland Echo & Football Echo: 41,153; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.9%
Swindon Advertiser: 21,828; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.8%
Teesside – Evening Gazette: 50,431; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.7%
The Argus Sussex: 31,703; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.6%
The Bolton News: 28,835; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.3%
The Citizen: 25,681; 98.4%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.0%
The Gazette – Blackpool: 28,340; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -6.6%
The Sentinel: 60,776; 99.6%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.7%
Torquay – Herald Express (Series): 23,992; 99.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.6%
Ulster – News Letter: 26,199; 98.2%; Paid; year-on-year change: -2.3%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning (Series): 37,152; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -4.7%
Weymouth – Dorset Evening Echo: 18,702; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -3.0%
Wigan Evening Post: 8,549; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -8.6%
Worcester News: 17,573; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.0%
Wrexham – Evening Leader: 21,159; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -5.8%
York – The Press: 32,856; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -2.9%
Yorkshire Sport (Sat): 5,647; 100.0%; Paid; year-on-year change: -1.0%