Newspaper gains in the major metropolitan markets

EMBARGOED TILL MIDDAY FRIDAY, 30 OCTOBER 2009

Latest newspaper readership results show significant gains in the major metropolitan markets.

The Nielsen Media Research survey for the year to Sept 30 released today (Friday, Oct 30) shows:

* The New Zealand Herald average issue readership is up 3,000 to 394,000 in Auckland City (overall 568,000) on the same period last year.

* The Waikato Times has jumped 8,000 to 104,000. The Times also increased its penetration in its key market by 2 percentage points – up to 44.1 percent.

* In Wellington The Dominion Post was up 5,000 to 145,000 in the city. Overall readership is 247,000. It also increased penetration by 1 percentage point to 47.7 percent.

* The Press has lifted by 7,000 to 223,000 nationally, while its penetration in Christchurch rose by just under 1 percent, to 50 percent.

Nearly half of all Wellingtonians and Cantabrians aged 15 plus read their city’s newspapers on an average day.

"These results are good news for newspapers and their advertisers," Newspaper Publishers’ Association chief executive Tim Pankhurst said. "This is despite a severe economic downturn and the challenge of the internet. Newspapers remain in good heart, and continue to adapt.

"When you add online audiences, total readership has never been higher."

He said the Sunday market was also prospering with readership of Sunday newspapers increasing by 7,000 to 946,000 overall.

The Sunday Star Times was up 6,000 to 570,000 and the Herald on Sunday was up 13,000 to 380,000.

"The overall change in daily newspaper readership over the last 12 months is less than 1 percent", Pankhurst said.

"About 2.5 million New Zealanders will read at least one edition of a daily or Sunday newspaper every week".

Source: Nielsen Media Research, National Readership Survey October 2008 – September 2009: All People 15+

ENDS

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