CIRCULATION DOWN AT BANGKOK POST
EXCLUSIVE By The Bangkok Bugle
Audited circulation figures released yesterday show The Bangkok Post recorded a 0.88% decline in circulation during the first half of 2010. Thailand's only newspaper to undergo an independent circulation audit shifted an average of 44,901 copies during the first six months of 2010 - down marginally from the 45,296 copies in the previous six months. Year-on-year the decline is a more substantial 12.38% - from 50,460 copies during the same period in 2009.
But the news is not all bad.
The area which has shown the largest decline is 'bulk multiple copy sales' - copies which are sold at vastly discounted rates. That figure now stands at 13,884 copies; just 12 months ago it was 17,436 copies - a decline of more than 25%. That's a good decline, in my view.
The average number of copies sold per day in shops now stands at 13,741 - a rise of little more than 3% on the 13,299 copies during the previous six month period. Single copy subscription copies are down marginally, now standing at 17,162 copies per day compared to the 17,625 during the previous period.
I've written many times about the advantages and disadvantages of having an independent circulation audit. In this particular case the headline figure shows a decline, but when you look deeper into the detail then it's certainly not all bad news. It appears as though many free or discounted copies have been cut, and that some of those have been turned into paid-for copies.
