Further Readership Increases

News Release – Embargoed until midday Tuesday 17 February 2009

Further Readership Increases as People Seek Knowledge in Times of Change

Extensive coverage and comment on the New Zealand government elections, the U.S. Presidential poll and the global economic crisis produced a strong readership result for APN newspapers and magazines in the last quarter of 2008.

After two years of consistent readership growth The New Zealand Herald has achieved the largest increase in readers of any metropolitan newspaper since the last readership release, gaining 10,000 more readers in the final quarter of 2008 to reach a total of 583,000 readers.

The Herald’s weekend stable mate, the Herald on Sunday also continued to show outstanding 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.

Today’s release of the readership of New Zealand newspapers and magazines by Nielsen Media Research is 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.

The power of print

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."

Strong finish for The New Zealand Herald

Outstanding coverage of the major news events of 2008 has paid dividends for the Herald increasing readership on every day of the week compared with the previous release.

The result reinforced the Herald’s position as New Zealand’s best-read newspaper with a readership of 583,000 and circulation of 180,939, which 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% 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 readership results prove that New Zealanders turn to their most trusted news source in times of crisis. Underlining this, readership of the Business Herald which has extensive, daily coverage of the world’s massive economic challenges, has grown on every day of the week. The Business Herald lift out inserted in Friday’s edition has also 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.

Herald on Sunday - New Zealand’s fastest growing newspaper

The number of new readers turning to New Zealand’s newspaper of the year, the Herald on Sunday, has again outstripped the growth of any other newspaper in the country. 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.

Readership in the Taupo North region grew by 35,000 or 11% on the same period last year to a record 354,000 readers, giving the paper 64,000 more readers than any other Sunday newspaper in that market. In Auckland the Herald on Sunday grew readership year on year by a significant 37,000 or 18% – nine times the rate of population growth for the city.

The Herald on Sunday continues to drive category growth with Sunday newspaper readership increasing by 6% in its core distribution area. The Herald on Sunday is now read by 61% of Sunday newspaper readers in Auckland.

The New Zealand Woman’s Weekly extends its lead

The New Zealand Woman’s Weekly remains the most read mass market weekly title with 863,000 readers and has widened the readership gap between its nearest mass weekly competitor. The Weekly, the MPA’s 2008 Supreme Magazine of the Year, 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% higher than for the same period last year. Readership continues to reflect Creme’s circulation growth, increasing a massive 35.5% to 164,000 readers.

The Simply You fashion title lifted circulation by 2% to 37,413 - 42% higher than its nearest competitor. Simply You Living achieved a 26.5% circulation gain to 23,314 year on year.

ENDS

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