Herald and Herald on Sunday maintain top position

News Release
Wednesday 8 November 2006

CIRCULATION RELEASE, NEW ZEALAND HERALD, HERALD ON SUNDAY

Herald and Herald on Sunday maintain number one market position

The New Zealand Herald and Herald on Sunday reaffirmed their dominant market position in the latest ABC audit for the six months ending 31 September.

The New Zealand Herald delivered a circulation result of 196,182 for the six month period, a 46 per cent share of the daily metropolitan market and almost double the circulation of its nearest daily rival. The Herald on Sunday, launched in October 2004, reported a stable-year-on year circulation result of 91,154, firmly entrenching the publication as Auckland and the Northern Region’s best-read Sunday title.

In the June 2006 Nielsen Media Research readership survey, The Herald grew national readership to 549,000 and, in its core market of Auckland, to 372,000. Readership remained stable in the Northern Region (526,000) compared to the previous six month period. The Herald on Sunday readership was the most stable of all Sunday newspapers, solidifying its number one position in the Sunday newspaper market with readership of 201,000 in Auckland and 293,000 in the Northern Region.

APN New Zealand Publishing CEO Martin Simons said: “The circulation result and growth in readership during a period of tighter retail trading and volatile fuel prices underlined the strength of APN’s portfolio of publishing assets. The portfolio also includes the Aucklander, Auckland’s leading free weekly title with 400,000 readers and nzherald.co.nz, New Zealand’s leading online news site with 337,000 New Zealanders logging on during the past four weeks.”

”Further testimony of our dominance in the Northern and Central North Island has been the circulation performance of APN’s leading regional titles including Hawkes Bay Today which delivered a result of 28,037, up on the March 06 period and the Bay of Plenty Times with circulation of 24,038 from its last audit in March 06.”**

The Weekend Herald is not separately audited but remains New Zealand’s biggest newspaper both in sales and readership with 628,000 readers across New Zealand, 595,000 in the Northern Region, and 411,000 in Auckland.
In June 2006 Nielsen Media Research reported 539,000 weekend newspaper readers (AP 15+) in Auckland and of those, 86 percent were reading The Weekend Herald or Herald on Sunday.

Herald on Sunday Publisher Rick Neville said: “The Herald on Sunday has quickly established itself as a complementary offer to the Weekend Herald. Recent additions to the main publication including Sunday Extra and a booming Sunday Homes supplement not only appeal to our readers but also continue to strengthen following strong advertising support from those wanting to reach the Northern Region market.”

Ends

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