Fairfax Magazines read by more than 2m

Media Release EMBARGOED UNTIL NOON FRIDAY 29 MAY

Fairfax Magazines read by more than 2m

Leading lifestyle publisher *Fairfax Magazines is continuing to attract new readers, despite the economic downturn, and its publications are now read by more than two million readers.

Latest readership figures from the Nielsen National Readership survey show 92% of all New Zealanders are reading magazines and 2.043 million (or 61%) of them are reading a Fairfax Magazines title.*

“That means more than half of the population aged 10-plus read at least one of our titles,” said Fairfax Magazines general manager Lynley Belton. “And three of the top five most read weekly magazines are from Fairfax – TV Guide, Sunday and **Your Weekend.”

Magazines that help green-fingered Kiwis reconnect to the soil are leading the way in the growing readership.

Nielsen’s figures show a massive 28.1% increase in readership for NZ Gardener over the past year, followed by a 14.3% increase for NZ Lifestyle Block, after its merger last November with Growing Today

NZ Gardener is now read by an average of 287,000 people per issue, and NZ Lifestyle Block’s readership has increased to 56,000. NZ Gardener now has more than double the number of readers of any other gardening magazine.

Other magazines in the stable have also shown remarkable growth in the last year, with NZ Trucking increasing readership by 11.4% NZ Fishing News up by 5.9%, Fish & Game attracting 5.8% more readers, Boating NZ up 5%,and NZ Autocar up 3%.

Flagship publications, NZ House & Garden and Cuisine maintain their position as the most-read magazines within their respective categories, with more than double the readers of their closest rival and NZ Life & Leisure has maintained stable readership in this tough market.

Both of Fairfax’s weekend newspaper-inserted magazines, **Your Weekend and Sunday, also increased readership and are now the two most-read newspaper-inserted magazines in the country.

Fairfax Magazines general manager Lynley Belton said the encouraging figures showed that our magazines continue to hit the mark with their target audiences.

“Magazines are able to provide more depth of coverage in special interest areas than any other media, and those that do this well continue to thrive and attract readers no matter what the broader economic environment.

“These readership figures show that Fairfax Magazines’ publications are continuing to successfully fulfil that role for millions of New Zealand readers.”

*Fairfax Magazines include: Boating NZ, NZ Fishing News, Fish + Game NZ, NZ Autocar, NZ Horse + Pony, NZ Gardener, NZ House &Garden, Cuisine, NZ Life + Leisure, TV Guide, NZ Trucking, NZ Lifestyle Block and Sunday Magazine (Net Unduplicated).
* Fairfax Magazines combined readership of 2,043 million is an unduplicated figure based on AP 10+.

Source:

Current period: Nielsen National Readership Survey April 08 - March 09; AP 10+
Prior year: Nielsen National Readership Survey April 07 - March 2008; AP 10+
** Your Weekend’s readership is based on Nielsen National Readership Survey 6-month data to March 2009.
• Your Weekend and Sunday magazines readership is based on the Net Unduplicated measure.

ENDS

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