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    AMPS 2002B - Newspaper and Magazine readership

    Dailies can crack out the bubbly, as they post significant increases, while other sectors hold their own. Most magazines have remained stable with no significant change in readership.

    Newspaper readership

    AMPS 2002B sees four new papers coming onto the market - dailies Isolezwe and Daily Sun, and weeklies Post Weekend and Sunday Sun. Only the latter, Sunday Sun, has been in the market for a full 12 months, and thus can be released with the current 12-month AMPS data. The other three titles, which have only accumulated six months of data, will have their readership figures released with AMPS 2003A. (Six-month data will be available in printed form for AMPS 2002B.)

    Yet the entry of these new titles, whether reported in AMPS 2002B or not, can be seen in the data, specifically in the daily sector, which has shown significant growth. Weekly papers have maintained their previous levels, as have community papers and freesheets.

  • Total newspaper readership - up slightly, though not significantly, to 45% or 13.324-million, with an upward trend for the medium in general starting to show through. Newspapers in total have however, shown a decline on the Reef, and in the Northern Cape (this demographic shift can be traced directly back to the community paper/freesheet sector).
  • Any daily readership - up significantly to 17.1% or 5.045-million (up amongst those aged 16-24, those in LSM 1-4, and in KwaZulu-Natal).
  • Any weekly (excluding CP/F) - 30.8% or 9.097-million (no significant demographic shifts).
  • Any CP/F - 21.9% or 6.472-million (down in the Northern Cape, and on the Reef).
  • Any weekly (including CP/F) - 39.6% or 11.72-million.
  • Any newspaper (excluding CP/F) - 37.4% or 11.073-million, setting up an upward trend.

    Dailies have cause to celebrate

    For the first time in years, daily newspapers have shown a significant increase in readership, putting behind them the slight decline seen in the previous survey.

    Any daily readership is up significantly from 16% in the previous period to 17.1% or 5.045-million, with increases being seen specifically amongst those aged 16-24, those in LSM 1-4, and in KwaZulu-Natal (no doubt the influence of Isolezwe).

    Another plus for daily newspapers has been the increase in the average number of papers per reader, the only increase in the print sector. Readers read on average 1.27 papers, which is up from 1.25 in AMPS 2002A.

    - What's changed? -

    Daily papers have shown remarkable stability on a paper-by-paper basis, supporting the theory that the introduction of the new papers Daily Sun and Isolezwe have brought real growth to the sector, attracting new readers to the mix.

  • Cape Argus is up in its LSM 9-10 readership.
  • No other significant daily readership or demographic changes were seen in AMPS 2002B.

    Weeklies maintain their levels

    The entry of new weeklies Post Weekend and Sunday Sun has not been able to secure an increase for this sector. Weekly papers have maintained their previous levels, with penetration now at 30.8%.

  • Average number of weekly newspapers per reader = 1.89 (from 1.91 in AMPS 2002A).

    - What's changed? -

  • Newcomer Sunday Sun has taken off with a bang, going from a zero base to 1.25-million readers, or 4.2% penetration, over the 12-month period. At this point however, it cannot be conclusively seen whether the paper is growing the Sunday market, or whether it is nibbling away at the readership of its competitors.
  • Cape Ads has shown an increase from 0.6% to 0.9% (257 000 readers). This is the last survey in which classified sections will be measured. Cape Ads will therefore not appear in AMPS 2003A. The increase is in general, across the demographics.
  • Despite the entry of Isolezwe onto the KwaZulu-Natal scene, the readership of Ilanga has remained stable. It has however, seen a decline in its Durban readership profile.
  • The Citizen on Saturday - down in Gauteng, and in Johannesburg specifically.
  • Rapport - down in the Northern Cape, and amongst LSM 9-10 readers.
  • Soccer Laduma - readership is down in Gauteng, and on the Reef.

    Community papers stable

    Readership of community papers has remained stable, with total penetration now at 21.9%. The only province to register a readership change was the Northern Cape, which saw its readership falling from 29.8% to 20%. In general, the sector has seen a readership decline in the Northern Cape and on the Reef.

    Magazine readership

    The local magazine scene is holding its own. There has been no significant change in readership over the period, although total readership is down very slightly from 41.2% in AMPS 2002A, to 40.1% in AMPS 2002B. This is not a general trend however, as most magazines have remained stable.

    AMPS 2002B sees six new titles being measured - the monthly CityLife (revamped) and Siyavaya, alternate monthly Blunt, quarterly In House Club and Personal Finance, and the weekly Auto Trader (which will not appear in AMPS after this survey, since the Print Council's decision to no longer measure classified publications.) Twelve-month readership for these titles will be released in September.

    In total, magazines are down very slightly on the previous period, but this is not a significant decline. Magazine penetration is set at 40.1% (compared to 41.2% in the previous period), with readership at 11.862-million. Demographically and geographically, magazines are down in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, in Johannesburg, amongst 35+ year-olds, and in LSM 5-6.

    Newspaper and subscriber magazines are reflecting the loss of Radio & TV Talk, which has lowered the levels for the entire sector.

    Average number of magazines per reader = 3.08 (down from 3.18 in AMPS 2002A)

    Average number of newspaper/subscriber magazines per reader = 1.57 (stable on AMPS 2002A)

    Weekly and fortnightly reads

    There were no significant changes in this sector of magazine publishing, although there were four demographic changes.

  • Huisgenoot - down in the Northern Cape and in LSM 10.
  • Rapport Tydskrif - down in the Northern Cape.
  • Vroue Keur - down in the Northern Cape.
  • Kickoff - down in Gauteng and in Johannesburg.
  • You - shows a developing upward trend.

    Monthly mags

    There were no significant gains in readership in this sector, although there were several declines. These include mass magazines Bona, down from 12.2% in the previous period, to 10.4%, or 3.065-million readers, and Pace, down from 4.8% to 4.0%, or 1.169-million readers. Both magazines have also suffered a loss of circulation of about 20%. Could this be due to the arrival of the new mass market Sunday papers, which have a similar, popular appeal as these two magazines?

    Magic/M is also down significantly on the previous survey, to 0.6%, or 185 000 readers.

    Tribute has shown a decline in readership, from 0.8% to 0.6% (171 000 readers).

    There are upward trends beginning to show through for FHM, Men's Health and Shape, and downward trends for Drive, Getaway, Reader's Digest, Rooi Rose, SA Computer Magazine, Woman's Value, and Your Family.

    Demographic shifts include:

  • Bona - down in large urban areas, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, amongst both males and females, in age 25-49, and LSM 1-7.
  • Dish/Skottel - up in Cape Town.
  • Food & Home - down in LSM 9.
  • Magic/M - down in LSM 10.
  • Men's Health - up in the Western Cape.
  • Pace - down in large urban areas, Gauteng, Johannesburg, and the Reef, in both males and females, in ages 16-24 and 35-49, and LSM 5-6.
  • Rooi Rose - down in LSM 9.
  • SA Gardening - down in Pretoria.
  • Tribute - down in metro areas.

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