Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 28, 2008 at 11:47:01:
Sun-Times circulation up
The Chicago Sun-Times, setting itself apart from most American newspapers, is reporting an increase in circulation in the latest six-month reporting period.
The paper said that from March through September, its average weekday circulation rose 0.3 percent to 313,174 copies. For the Sunday edition, the paper reported a 3.4 percent increase to 255,906 copies.
The result is unusual in that the Sun-Times, along with most major papers, has faced a prolonged period of circulation declines. Publisher Cyrus Freidheim Jr. said the new numbers show the effectiveness of the paper's emphasis on building paid readership.
"We wanted to demonstrate that this paper is alive and well and vibrant and strong," he said. For advertisers, circulation improvement shows "the strength of the brand," Freidheim said.
The paper has used several tactics to boost both street sales and home deliveries. Freidheim said a Sun-Times contest called Scratch2Win helped with sales.
The paper also doubled the number of "hawkers" it uses to sell the Sunday paper in busy neighborhoods. Freidheim said the hawkers sold copies at a discounted price of $1, vs. the usual $1.50, to counter a promotion run by the Chicago Tribune.
The March-through-September period often is difficult for newspapers because readership can drop during the summer, when school is out and people take vacation.
News helped sustain reader interest, Freidheim said. Chicagoans turned to the Sun-Times to follow the Cubs and the White Sox in their trips to the postseason and to track the presidential election in Barack Obama's hometown.
For both weekday and Sunday editions, the paper reported increases in home delivery subscriptions and street sales. About 60 percent of Sun-Times circulation consists of street sales, otherwise known as single-copy sales.
The paper also reported growth for its Saturday edition. Saturday sales rose 1.2 percent for the March-through-September period to 228,149 copies.
The numbers have been reported to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which reviews newspaper circulation numbers. Other papers also are reporting their six-month updates to the ABC.
Last March, the ABC lifted a censure it imposed on the Sun-Times because of circulation fraud under past management. The censure had barred the Sun-Times from reporting circulation figures concurrently with the industry.
The Sun-Times is part of Sun-Times Media Group Inc., which includes papers that dominate their suburban Chicago markets.
(Chicago Sun-Times)