Sun Media pulled out of the Audit Bureau of Circulation a couple of years ago and moved to the Canadian Circulation Audit Board.
We're not sure of the motives for the move, but 2009 CCAB circulation stats released yesterday to coincide with the 2009 NADbank readership numbers are mostly negative for Sun Media newspapers.
The saddest CCAB figures for Toronto Sun vets who remember when the Sunday Sun ruled over the Sunday Star are the 2009 average Sunday stats - 282,389 (200,644 paid, the remaining 81,745 sponsored/free copies).
The 2008 Sunday Sun figures were 319,499 (246,898 paid, the remaining 72,601 sponsored/free copies.)
In the fall of 1993, with the now retired Mike Burke-Gaffney at the helm as Sunday Sun editor, the Sunday paper peaked at 550,000.
The 2009 CCAB figures represent a circulation free fall of almost 270,000 Sunday papers since 1993 and a drop of more than 37,000 papers since 2008.
Do you think readers of Sunday papers are trying to tell Sun Media/Quebecor/PKP something about all of the cutbacks and content and format changes made to their Sunday Sun in the past decade or so?
We're not sure of the motives for the move, but 2009 CCAB circulation stats released yesterday to coincide with the 2009 NADbank readership numbers are mostly negative for Sun Media newspapers.
The saddest CCAB figures for Toronto Sun vets who remember when the Sunday Sun ruled over the Sunday Star are the 2009 average Sunday stats - 282,389 (200,644 paid, the remaining 81,745 sponsored/free copies).
The 2008 Sunday Sun figures were 319,499 (246,898 paid, the remaining 72,601 sponsored/free copies.)
In the fall of 1993, with the now retired Mike Burke-Gaffney at the helm as Sunday Sun editor, the Sunday paper peaked at 550,000.
The 2009 CCAB figures represent a circulation free fall of almost 270,000 Sunday papers since 1993 and a drop of more than 37,000 papers since 2008.
Do you think readers of Sunday papers are trying to tell Sun Media/Quebecor/PKP something about all of the cutbacks and content and format changes made to their Sunday Sun in the past decade or so?
You betcha.
This is what a advertiser had to say about the circulation stats in the Calgary Sun:
ReplyDeleteEgon Ellis report comment
March 17th 2010, 11:18pm
Way to slice the demographics so it looks like the Sun isn't hemorrhaging readers...which it is. Your Sunday edition alone lost 26,000 readers. Maybe your plummeting readership may signal Peladeau that you don't grow audience by sacking most of your newsroom. Then again, maybe not. As a regular newspaper advertiser, I feel it would be nice to have a two-newspaper town. We certainly don't now and Quebecor holds all the blame for that.
Sure readers are, but PKP will take his own spin on it with the usual "tough economic times" crap and blame the newsroom for not giving what the readers want.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't understand you need more staff, and motivated staff, to get the job done effectively and consistently. You can't make money forever without spending some now and then.
But how can someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth ever understand those concepts?
I am sure PKP 'brilliance' running a newspaper empire will get him his fame...in marketing case study textbook that is. His readers have spoken and he is well beyond the edge of the slippery slope, I am sure the advertisers will speak next!
ReplyDeleteI say we rip that silver spoon out of his mouth and whack him firmly between the eyes with it. Who's with me!?
ReplyDeleteWell, one of the advertisers just did, or did I not read the first posting on this page correctly?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the readers have spoken with less editorial, columnists, features, personalities and physically smaller size that perhaps all played a part? The public is not stupid and can see the de-contenting and feel that they are not getting their value when they drop a loonie into the box
ReplyDeleteMetro has already eaten 24hrs for breakfast, they digested the SUN for lunch, wonder what is happening for dinner?
Hopefully PKP can look in a mirror and know who to point the finger at. Surprised that the shareholders and the board of directors have not re-structured his job
These guys don't think that way - he'll just see it as a dying proposition and unload the carcass. It's not just PKP, this is happening to newspapers all over North America.
ReplyDeleteAnd who's to blame? In a society that's constantly fed sound bites and instant gratification, is there really anybody left with the focus to read a story? Is there any place for honest, non-sensational news in a consumer-driven, crap-obsessed culture?
The writing was on the wall when advertising managers started becoming publishers and advertisers started taking precedence over readers.
Memo to PKP: Since you don't seem to get it, or even some of your foot soldiers, we suggest forcing your general managers, VPs, etc., to walk the beat in communities as mystery shoppers to ask people what they think of their community newspapers. Oh wait, I forgot. It doesn't matter what our readers or communities think.....never mind
ReplyDelete