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February 28, 2019

Regional daily ABCs: Ipswich Star circulation drops after free edition replaced with new standalone title

By Freddy Mayhew

Print circulations fell across the board year-on-year for the UK and Ireland’s regional daily newspapers, according to new ABC figures.

Archant’s Ipswich Star fell hardest, with circulation down 37 per cent year-on-year to 5,423 over the six months from July to December last year.

This follows its decision to scrap a free Thursday edition of the paper, previously included in ABC figures, and launch new standalone title the Ipswich Extra in February 2018.

Ispwich Extra has a circulation of 14,140 for the period, according to ABC.

Brad Jones, editor of the Ipswich Star, said: “The -37 per cent year-on-year decline is not an accurate representation of Ipswich Star sales.

“Actively purchased copy sales of the Star are actually down -9.4 per cent, which is one of the smallest declines of the 50 titles reporting.”

Reach-owned daily the Cambridge News was down 34 per cent to 7,124.

The Irish News recorded the smallest circulation decline over the six-month period, down five per cent to 32,315.

Both the Yorkshire Post, owned by JPI Media, and the Manchester Evening News, owned by Reach, saw double-digit circulation decline.

Regional daily newspaper circulation July-December 2018 (ABC):

Publication Owner Total circ. Jul-Dec 2018 Year-on-year % change Bulks Free
Aberdeen – Press & Journal D C Thomson & Co Ltd 43,746 -9% 355
Express & Star (West Midlands) The Midland News Association 38,690 -19% 6,535
Manchester Evening News Reach plc 35,417 -10% 7 16,347
Belfast Telegraph Independent News & Media (NI) 33,951 -7% 2,009 7,008
Dundee – The Courier D C Thomson & Co Ltd 33,144 -8% 255
Irish News – Morning Irish News Co 32,315 -5% 178
Liverpool Echo Reach plc 32,257 -16% 64
Norwich – Eastern Daily Press Archant Ltd 25,631 -12%
The Herald Newsquest Media Group 22,901 -12%
The Sentinel Reach plc 20,682 -11%
Hull Daily Mail Reach plc 20,212 -14% 42
Shropshire Star The Midland News Association 20,137 -13% 846
Aberdeen – Evening Express D C Thomson & Co Ltd 19,732 -13% 47
Leeds – Yorkshire Post JPIMedia Limited 19,434 -11% 1,255
Newcastle Chronicle Reach plc 19,259 -14%
Darlington – The Northern Echo Newsquest Media Group 19,142 -11%
Glasgow – Evening Times Newsquest Media Group 18,204 -13%
Daily Post (Wales) Reach plc 18,007 -9%
Leicester Mercury Reach plc 17,015 -25% 322
The Scotsman JPIMedia Limited 16,349 -17% 3,116
South Wales Evening Post Reach plc 15,748 -13% 125
Southend – Basildon – Canvey – Echo Newsquest Media Group 15,299 -10% 86
Plymouth – Western Morning News Reach plc 15,295 -13%
Teesside Gazette Reach plc 15,067 -14%
Derby Telegraph Reach plc 15,029 -17% 694 18
Birmingham Mail Reach plc 14,458 -13%
Edinburgh – Evening News JPIMedia Limited 14,195 -15% 174
Portsmouth – News & Sports Mail JPIMedia Limited 13,902 -15% 34
Bristol – Western Daily Press Reach plc 13,425 -7% 3
Southampton – Southern Daily Echo Newsquest Media Group 12,954 -11% 23
Plymouth – The Herald Reach plc 12,795 -13% 77
Sheffield Star JPIMedia Limited 12,609 -14%
Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times Archant Ltd 12,589 -11%
Grimsby Telegraph Reach plc 12,578 -12% 42 10
News Letter JPIMedia Limited 12,499 -9% 123
The Post Reach plc 11,925 -22% 164
Nottingham Post Reach plc 11,777 -28% 37
Dundee Evening & Weekend Telegraph D C Thomson & Co Ltd 11,742 -12% 43
Wales – The Western Mail Reach plc 11,719 -13%
York – The Press Newsquest Media Group 11,705 -11% 616
Cardiff – South Wales Echo Reach plc 11,659 -13%
Bournemouth – The Daily Echo Newsquest Media Group 11,293 -8%
Bradford – Telegraph & Argus Newsquest Media Group 10,671 -14% 462
Coventry Telegraph Reach plc 10,606 -14%
The Argus Brighton Newsquest Media Group 10,003 -6% 93 1,239
Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post JPIMedia Limited 9,734 -15%
Sunderland Echo JPIMedia Limited 9,374 -15%
The National Newsquest Media Group 9,101 -7%
Newcastle Journal Reach plc 9,083 -16%
Huddersfield Daily Examiner Reach plc 9,019 -13%
Oxford Mail Newsquest Media Group 8,599 -9% 7
South Wales Argus Newsquest Media Group 8,563 -13% 56 339
Dorset Echo Newsquest Media Group 8,352 -11% 3
Swindon Advertiser Newsquest Media Group 8,191 -7% 38 320
Greenock Telegraph Newsquest Media Group 8,116 -9%
Colchester – Daily Gazette Newsquest Media Group 7,943 -10% 36
Lancashire Post JPIMedia Limited 7,916 -13%
The Bolton News Newsquest Media Group 7,873 -10%
Cambridge News Reach plc 7,124 -34% 81
Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn Newsquest Media Group 7,023 -27%
The Gazette – Blackpool JPIMedia Limited 7,010 -14%
Norwich – Evening News Archant Ltd 6,351 -15%
The Leader Newsquest Media Group 6,271
Worcester News Newsquest Media Group 5,925 -10%
Burton Mail Reach plc 5,872 -20% 62 340
Ipswich Star Archant Ltd 5,423 -37%
The Mail Newsquest Media Group 5,151 -15% 291
Carlisle – News and Star East Newsquest Media Group 4,746 -12% 408
Paisley Daily Express Reach plc 4,262 -6%
South Shields – Shields Gazette JPIMedia Limited 3,727 -19%
Hartlepool Mail JPIMedia Limited 3,234 -23%
Wigan Post JPIMedia Limited 2,937 -13% 1,223
Carlisle – News and Star West Newsquest Media Group 1,865 -8% 194

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