ONLY two local, paid-for weekly newspapers have seen their average sales increase on six months and 12 months previously, according to figures issued by the newspaper circulation auditing body.
Says the Audit Bureau of Circulation, only the Wee County News and the Hawick News and Scottish Border Chronicle can claim their average sales between July and December last year are up on the average leading up to the previous June and the average leading up to the December the previous year.
The Wee County News, which had an average July-December 2010 circulation of 6,045, was up 0.9 per cent on the average during the six months to June last year and up 3.1 per cent on the average during the six months leading to the previous December.
For the Hawick News and Scottish Border Chronicle, its sale of 5,317 was up 1.2 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively.
Martin Little, Wee County News editor, told allmediascotland: “We are delighted with the increase in circulation for the Wee County News. It shows readers still respond to good, local journalism covering issues that matter to the people living in Clackmannanshire.
“There were some truly groundbreaking stories coming out of Clackmannanshire in the second half of 2010 which our editorial team were right at the heart of.
“The increase is a testament to the hard work of all those involved at Forth Independent Newspapers and we hope continue this success in 2011.”
A number of paid-for weekly local papers had a mixed bag of both increases and decreases.
The Ayrshire Post’s 23,493 was up one per cent, but down 2.1 per cent; the Berwick Advertiser’s 7,024 was up 0.4 per cent but down five; the Cumbernauld News & Kilsyth Chronicle’s 8,993 was up 0.3 per cent but down 5.1; and the East Fife Mail’s 10,112 was up 2.1 per cent but down two.
Meanwhile, the Fife Free Press’s 14,013 was up 1.1 per cent, but down 1.7 per cent; the Galloway News’ 7,867 was up 0.6 per cent but down 4.5 per cent, the Rutherglen Reformer’s 3,610 was up 0.5 per cent but down 2.5; while the West Lothian Courier’s 13,917 was up 0.8 per cent but down 3.4 per cent.
Finally, the Montrose Review, which has just celebrated its 200th birthday, was up 0.3 per cent but down 6.8 per cent with its sales figure of 4,346.
And The Arran Banner’s 3209 was 1.2 per cent up on the average leading to December 2009, but there was no comparative figure for the average during the six months leading to June 2010. Ditto, the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter’s 3,715 was 3.9 per cent up on 12 months before but n/a June 2010.
More ABC figures for Scotland’s local newspapers to follow over the coming days…
