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U.S. Newspapers circulation drop again by 10.6 percent- USA TODAY remains number one

By Robert J. Steiner for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:October 27, 2009

The average daily circulation at U.S. newspapers plunged 10.6 percent in the April-September period from the same six-month stretch last year, according to figures released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

The ABC data estimate that 30.4 million Americans now pay to buy a newspaper Monday through Saturday, on average, and about 40 million do so on Sunday.

Nielsen reported that the New York Times was the Internet’s most popular newspaper site, with an average of 21.5 million unique visitors per monthh, up 7 percent compared with a year earlier.

For the six months that ended in September, The Chronicle’s daily circulation dropped 25.8 percent to 251,782, compared with the same period in 2008, the steepest decline among major U.S. metropolitan papers.

USA Today suffered the worst erosion in its 27-year history, dropping more than 17 percent to 1.90 million. The paper has been surpassed by The Wall Street Journal as the nation’s top-selling newspaper.

USA Today’s circulation fell 17% to 1.9 million as the Gannett Co. paper, which gets many of its sales at hotels and airports, was hit by the slump in travel.

The New York Times’ circulation fell 7.3% to 927,851, making it the No. 3 paper. The Los Angeles Times was fourth with daily circulation of 657,467, down 11.1% from a year ago.

The Washington Post rounded out the top five with a loss of 6.4% to 582,844. Industrywide, Sunday circulation held up better than weekday sales, falling 7.5% compared with a year ago. The Times’ Sunday circulation fell 6.8% to 983,702.

The Chicago Sun-Times announced an 11.98 percent year-to-year decline in weekday paid circulation to 275,641 for the six-month period that ended in September and a 1.8 percent decline on Sundays to 251,260.

Chicago Tribune paid circulation dropped 7.13 percent to 803,220 on Sundays and 465,892 on weekdays, which represents an adjusted decline of 9.57 percent.

USA TODAY remains number one in total daily print circulation in the United States, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation report. USA TODAY’s daily print circulation was 1,891,604 for the period ending September 30, 2009.

USA TODAY’s print circulation is nearly 275,000 copies per day larger than its closest competitor, The Wall Street Journal, and more than 1,000,000 copies per day larger than The New York Times. USA TODAY is also the newspaper leader in single copy newsstand sales selling more than 475,000 copies per day versus The Wall Street Journal’s 89,951 copies per day. Single copy newsstand sales reflect customers who actively seek out the newspaper each day and pay full newsstand price, which is widely considered the most valuable circulation by advertisers.

Here are the 10 largest papers, with their weekday circulation and change.

1. The Wall Street Journal, 2,024,269, up 0.6%

2. USA Today, 1,900,116, down 17.2%

3. The New York Times, 927,851, down 7.3%

4. Los Angeles Times, 657,467, down 11.1%

5. The Washington Post, 582,844, down 6.4%

6. Daily News of New York, 544,167, down 14%

7. New York Post, 508,042, down 18.8%

8. Chicago Tribune, 465,892, down 9.7%

9. Houston Chronicle, 384,419, down 14.2%

10. Philadelphia Inquirer, 361,480

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