Comments on: ABC figures: How the regional dailies performed

By: Traffic Chaos

Traffic Chaos — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:47:25 +0000

Incredible.

Try telling the Nottingham Post staff that we’re over the worst of it…

By: spotter

spotter — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:57:55 +0000

a lot of the regionals are like weeklies now. next day publications and stale news. they won’t be any loss if they become weeklies.
But bean counters must realise there is never going to be decent money in weekly websites before they kill off the papers, some of which are performing pretty well in spite of being understaffed.

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By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:01:36 +0000

ignore me, just found them !

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2011/news/abc-figures-newspaper-websites-see-big-increases/

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By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:59:53 +0000

Would be interesting to see the corresponding website figures.

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By: From Leeds

From Leeds — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:37:47 +0000

Oh dear what has happened to the Yorkshire Evening Post? Seems there is no appetite any more to buy an evening paper in what is England’s third biggest city.

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By: Clodhopper

Clodhopper — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:06:52 +0000

Before we see the pictures of editors and circulation directors smiling from a stage somewhere with a cheap plastic trophies, how many of the leading performers are relying on bulk frees?
Answer: Many of them.
Happy to be proved wrong, and no doubt someone will try, but take out bulk frees and what have we got?
Norwich Evening News (lovely 3.4 per cent up on ABC but take away bulks and you have minus 9.6)
Eastern Daily Press (plus 0.6, but without bulks minus 5)
Ipswich Star (-0.4 ABC but -5.6 if you allow for the bulks)
Similar for East Anglian Daily Times (-1.3, but take bulks into account and it’s -5.6).
Liverpool Daily Post is another good example. Nothing wrong in the paper’s well-known strategy to go for a free/paid mix but(-2.1 ABC actually equates to an underlying sale of -18.9).
Think it would be a really interesting exercise for someone (htfp?) to drill down into these stats and get the true picture.
We need to understand how free bulks are affecting sales in order to understand this.

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By: Ill-informed

Ill-informed — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:42:01 +0000

“Lets face it if this rate of decline keeps on they will all be weeklies within two years.” Is that such a bad thing? If there isn’t enough demand (from readers or from advertisers) to sustain daily local newspapers, switching to weekly seems a sensible option.

It’s interesting to note that not a single regional publisher is successfully sustaining paid-for circulation. Continued sales declines can’t just be attributed to the perceived greed or stupidity or short-termism of the major publishing groups.

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By: Tabbitha

Tabbitha — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:53:27 +0000

Isn’t it obvious that by making the newspaper available on line free of charge before distribution to retailers is fully complete is sheer madness. Home delivery is primarily done by children 13yrs and over, as they’re at school during the day the newspaper doesn’t start going through the letter box until 3.45-4.00pm at the earliest. Most people don’t leave work until 5.30pm which means they wont get to read it prior to 6pm.

Why should readers be expected to buy a copy or pay for a home delivery service when they can read it at their desk in the lunch hour free of charge hours before it reaches the letter box.

The industry continues to concentrate its effort on the internet, but at what cost? Newspaper sales revenue has always been the second biggest earner following advertsing, but for how much longer?. When will they wake up and realise that it’s almost too late.

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By: Hack's Yer Lot

Hack's Yer Lot — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:31:32 +0000

When are the figures for the weeklies released?

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By: Last one out - switch off the light

Last one out - switch off the light — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:43:47 +0000

Oh my God!
What a terrible state of affairs!
Is the industry actually trying to do ANYTHING about these horrendous figures?
Does the newspaper society have ANY drive or focus on this major issue?
Their apparent silence is deafening!
Lets face it if this rate of decline keeps on they will all be weeklies within two years.
A very concerned fan of the Regional Press who worked in and with the industry for over 29 years.

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