hawkins

Circulation Woes

Not as bleak here

Newspapers, tied to a paid circulation model, continue to take it on the chin as they find it harder to hold onto readers and even harder to win new ones.

There was more bad news today, with the Audit Bureau of Circulation releasing its semi-annual report that showed the fourth consecutive drop in newspaper circulation.

The figures for all reporting papers for the six-month period ending September 30, showed an average 2.8 percent drop in daily and 3.4 percent drop in Sunday circulation, led by losses at the nation's largest papers,including The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

The picture was not as bleak in Charleston. We actually grew circulation during the period - if only by a smidgen.

Our figures, as reported by Steve Wagenlander, our circulation director, show Sunday circulation up .1 percent over the same period for the prior year and our Monday-Saturday circulation up .05 percent. To put that in perspective, The New York Times was down 3.5 percent both daily and Sunday and the Boston Globe was down 6.7 percent daily and 9.9 percent Sunday.

There is a lot of speculation about why people are losing the newspaper habit. I don't think you have to look any further than the Web.

TV Changes

Glutton for punishment?

Several Post and Courier readers noticed we switched to a new daily television page this week that offers more prime-time highlights, new sports listings, and a new color grid that designates shows suitable for kids.

It is a good sign that my phone has not rung off the hook. There are few things an editor can do to upset readers more than to change the TV or comics pages. Readers are, as the cliché goes, serious creatures of habit.

We rolled out the new daily listings as a so-called soft opening for the main event – a new Friday TV book. When we downsized our TV book last January to save expensive newsprint, we wound up having to cut back the number of movie listings. Readers howled.

Our new book will follow the improved daily grid format, albeit not in color. The trade off will allow us to offer many more movie listings for the week, as well as other enhancements.

I'm not really a glutton for punishment. I believe this is a better book and think readers will agree. If not, they'll let me know.

 

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