Consumer magazines make up a total of 105 titles, including 10 new titles, with an average circulation of 49 000 and an average sale of 82.8% of single copies sold. Woman's magazines account for 31.8%, and finance (two new titles), motoring (1 new title), and travel (no new titles) are up by 55.4%, 14.4% and 11.9% respectively. Custom magazines (sold) circulation has increased by 8.6% and community press by 5.6%.
Two titles, both foreign and accounting for 10% of circulation, have just entered the market of daily newspapers, whose average circulation is 67 000 and 75.8% are copy sales. Local daily newspapers showed no growth.
Free newspapers (VFD) have also gone up by 31% in the same period, and its numbers have reached 128 titles, including 17 new titles, which are mostly distributed in the previously-disadvantaged areas.
"This shows that print media is well, alive and kicking", said Gordon Utian, ABC president. "Unfortunately, advertising is not growing at the same rate. This means that the publisher has no choice but to increase the cover price, something that will put more pressure to the consumer.
"However, the good news is that the print industry is doing well, has come back strongly and publishers have managed to keep circulations growing despite all sorts of challenges," Utian added.
"As a body, the ABC is putting on a lot of effort to make sure that everything is accurate and objective. We do not take any nonsense from anyone and we do not care who says what," Utian said.
When circulation information for the second quarter in 2006 is compared with that of the same period in 2005, the following key trends emerge, says the ABC in its quarterly summary:
ABC general manager Charles Beiles told Bizcommunity.com that the body does not comment on the circulation's decrease and increase of publications. "After the results are published, anyone is entitled to comment the way they feel like. Nevertheless, our major challenge is to ensure that the accuracy and objectivity of data complies with the rules established by the association."
Beginning this year, the ABC now publishes results every quarter, compared to the previous every six months. Beiles added: "Television and radio provide information on a regular basis. So we thought we should also follow that trend to give publishers and advertisers viable tools that could help them to make decisions on a regular basis."
He emphasised that circulation figures are factual data compared to readership figures, which are mostly the results of surveys.
The ABC has now between 500 and 600 members, and Beiles wishes that more members could join the association and make best use of the information in order to advance their operations.
"New titles are continuing to keep the print media industry vibrant, volatile and growing," said Beiles.
