KEY POINTS:
The Herald and Herald on Sunday's print editions have both shown strong readership growth in the latest figures released today.
Coming on the back of two years of consistent readership growth, the Herald achieved the largest increase of any metropolitan newspaper, gaining 10,000 more readers in the final quarter of 2008 to reach a total of 583,000 readers.
The Herald on Sunday also continued to show growth with a larger year on year increase than any other newspaper in New Zealand. Readership grew 37,000 on the prior year with 15,000 new readers in the final quarter. Total recorded readership was 382,000, the paper's highest ever readership result.
The rise in readership at both newspapers is being put down to extensive coverage and comment on the New Zealand election, the US Presidential poll and the global economic crisis.
Today's figures from Nielsen Media Research are based on a national survey of 12,000 people aged 10+. The survey covers the period from January 2008 to December 2008, with the previous readership release focussing on the 12 months to September 2008.
Also released today are newspaper and magazine circulation results measured by the Audit Bureau of Circulation, for the six months ending 31 December 2008. Due to a change in audit periods there is no comparable data available.
Readership of nzherald.co.nz is also growing with a total of 2.27million unique browsers visiting the site in January, 8% more than in the same month last year according to Nielsen Online NZ Market Intelligence.
Chief Executive Martin Simons said the sustained readership growth of APN titles showed that the future of newspapers and magazines willing to invest in targeting new readers and maintaining existing ones was extremely positive in New Zealand.
"These excellent results for our publications, especially in the last quarter of 2008, demonstrate that when times are difficult New Zealanders seeking knowledge, information and enjoyment turn to trusted publishing brands delivering a level of quality, depth and breadth just not available from other sources," he said.
The results in detail
The result reinforced the Herald's position as New Zealand's best-read newspaper. The readership of 583,000 and circulation of 180,939, is more than double the readers or sales of any other metropolitan newspaper. The Herald continues to increase its share of the metropolitan newspaper market with 52 per cent of metropolitan newspaper readers reading the Herald each day.
The Monday (572,000 readers), Wednesday (625,000), Thursday (583,000) and Weekend Herald (615,000) editions remain the most read newspapers in the country. The Weekend Herald recorded an increase of 14,000 readers on the previous survey period.
The Business Herald lift-out in Friday's edition has increased readership by 18,000 people year on year, reaching 262,000 per week. This has been achieved at a time when competitive business publications have experienced significant readership declines.
Now with a total readership of 382,000 the Herald on Sunday remains the clear number one Sunday newspaper in its core circulation area north of Taupo. Sales of the Herald on Sunday have also increased in the second half of 2008 recording an audited circulation of 93,751.
The New Zealand Woman's Weekly, the MPA's 2008 Supreme Magazine of the Year, also extended its lead as the most read mass market weekly title with 863,000 readers. It has 58,000 more readers than its nearest competitor and 271,000 readers who read no other weekly woman's magazine title.
The New Zealand Listener remains New Zealand's number one selling current affairs title with a net audited circulation of 65,185 and a readership of 281,000, an increase of 6,000 on the previous release.
Creme has cemented its position as the number one teen title with a net circulation of 19,315 copies per month, 12 per cent higher than for the same period last year. Readership continues to reflect Creme's circulation growth, increasing 36 per cent to 164,000 readers.
The Simply You fashion title lifted circulation by 2 per cent to 37,413 - 42 per cent higher than its nearest competitor. Simply You Living achieved a 26.5 per cent circulation gain to 23,314 year on year.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
