Johnston Press has revealed that the growth in revenues from digital display advertising from some of its titles in September outstripped the decline in print display ads.
Year-on-year figures for the month showed that in its Midlands titles, digital revenue was growth was now more than compensating for falling print revenues in the category.
It is the first time any of the company’s regional operations have produced such a result and although the figures cover only the month of September, they are being seen as a significant milestone within the company.
A spokesman told HTFP: “Obviously it’s a good indicator for the future growth in the business.”
The figures are due to be presented to analysts at a series of private meetings due to be held this week.
A full update will be available in the group’s next interim management statement, which is due out in mid-November.
The last IMS, published on 28 August and covering the six months up to 29 June, showed digital revenues across the group up 13.3pc in the first half of the year.
Total advertising revenues however declined by 13.6pc in the first half of the year.
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Deafening silence from the “web will never pay” brigade, I see
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When hundreds of JP journalists who find themselves surplus to requirements have taken voluntary redundancy and there are fewer reporters left to write meaty stories, investigate public bodies and pen features with a bit of panache, will advertisers want to cough up then? Either on the web or in print?
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No actual revenue figures are mentioned I note!
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I am confused with this.
Do we/you/HTFP/JP mean that the amount of money generated by digital advertising has exceeded the amount of money generated by traditional advertising?
Or, that the rate of increase in revenue from digital advertising has exceeded the rate of decline in revenue from traditional advertising?
Without knowing the numbers, either statement is meaningless.
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The journalists, as were the designers, are not “surplus to requirements”, (though I appreciate what you mean, Scribbler) as there is still plenty of work to do. JP have to cut the debt so now it’s back to the journalists to suffer. I agree, retailers will not want to advertise in a paper that has no merit or standing in the community. Ads now come from India and look the poorer for it, and the loss of more journalists will equally affect the products. Are we going to see more digital ads than ever on the web, localhack? What a turn off!
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Confused … I am equally confused. Glad it’s not just me!
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I get it now. The increase in digital is on papers that went from daily to weekly … no wonder their print revenue saw such a decline.
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You’re right, JP Cost Cut Victim – we journalists who remain have more than enough work to do – more than we can handle. Yet, perversely, the company wants rid of us, and with almost undue haste, holding out the carrot of three weeks’ pay per year of service rather than the usual two.
So there will be plenty of advertising staff to pull in ads, which will go into a weakened product filled with PR guff and “user-generated content”.
Sic transit gloria mundi!
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As a JP hack I would like to look into this ambiguous and dubious digital revenue claim, but I haven’t got the time or the energy – and neither have my hard-pressed colleagues. Does this now mean we don’t have to consider redundancy this week?
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I think someone is telling porkie pies at JP ( shifting money from print to digital ) tut tut
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‘A spokesman told HTFP’ ??? WHO! Surely they didn’t ask to remain anonymous…
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