1 of 4

 

Embargoed until midnight Thursday 20th April, 2006.  Not for publication until that time

. 

Prepared by John Fairfax Holdings.

 

 

               John Fairfax Holdings Limited 

 

D

ARLING 

P

ARK 

201

 

S

USSEX 

S

TREET

,

 

S

YDNEY

,

 

2000

                                 

 

ABN

 

15

 

008

 

663

 

161 

 

PUBLISHERS’ STATEMENTS  

CIRCULATION FIGURES FOR NEWSPAPERS AND THE INTERNET FOR 6 

MONTHS TO MARCH 2006  

 

EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 20th April, 2006. 

 NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNTIL FRIDAY 21st April, 2006.

 

 

 

The Age

 and 

The Sunday Age 

post industry’s highest circulation gains 

 

The Sydney Morning Herald

, 

The Sun-Herald

 and 

The Australian Financial 

Review report continued circulation growth 

 
Strong gains for Fairfax Digital sites 

 

 

JAMES HOOKE 

MANAGING DIRECTOR, NSW 

FAIRFAX METROPOLITAN, REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS 

Circulation is up across all editions of all Fairfax's newspapers in NSW for the second 
consecutive audit period. This is an outstanding result.

 

With improved editorial quality and agenda-setting coverage, 

The Sydney Morning 

Herald

 is continuing its strong and steady growth that began in 2005. This is the second 

consecutive survey where we had positive circulation audits for all days of the week. The 
Weekend SMH gain of over 5,000 copies, or 1.5%, is particularly significant. These 
results are an excellent way to mark 175 years of publishing.

 

The circulation rise for 

The Sun-Herald

 -- particularly in contrast to the sharp fall of its 

Sunday competitor -- reflects continued editorial improvements and effective marketing 
programs. The circulation momentum of The Sun-Herald is an excellent reward for an 
editorial team committed to serving its readers.

  

The Herald brand has never been stronger.  With an average approaching 1 million 
readers per day, and over 2 million unique browsers per month,  more people now 
access our excellent content via our newspapers and online than ever before.

  

The 

Newcastle Herald

 and 

Illawarra Mercury 

registered continued circulation growth 

across all editions.

 

2 of 4

 

Embargoed until midnight Thursday 20th April, 2006.  Not for publication until that time

. 

Prepared by John Fairfax Holdings.

 

  

DON CHURCHILL

 

MANAGING DIRECTOR, VICTORIA

 

FAIRFAX METROPOLITAN, REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

 

These are excellent circulation results and are the result of a great deal of hard work 
across the paper to strengthen and reinvigorate 

The Age

. 

 

Sales are up across all days of the week for the first time since December 2003  , 
subscription levels at a record high of more than 100,000, readership is growing on all 
days, and theage.com.au has  posted 1.4  million unique monthly browsers , up 38%.   

 

The Age

’s overall audience in print and online is at record levels. 

 

The Age 

is the only paper, with the exception of its sister paper 

The Sydney Morning 

Herald

,

 

to record a positive audit on all days of the week. 

 

Sunday’s circulation has reached record levels with 

The Sunday Age

 posting the best 

percentage growth - 5.18% or an additional 10,200 copies - which makes it the fastest 
growing newspaper in the country. 

 

 

Weekday circulation also grew strongly by 2.5% or 4,800 copies which was the highest 
percentage increase of any metropolitan daily newspaper in Australia  and Saturday’s 
circulation is also up over 300,000. 

 

We expect the positive sales trend to continue forecasting strong gains for the third 
consecutive period.  

  
  

MICHAEL GILL

 

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF

 

FAIRFAX BUSINESS MEDIA

 

The solid year on year growth in 

The Australian Financial Review

 is the pleasing result of 

our ongoing enhancements to marketing, circulation sales efforts and consistently strong 
editorial quality as well as the flow on effects of the record-setting stock market.  

 

  

As noted previously, long weekend bumper issues have a pronounced effect on the 
circulation result for the  Weekend  

Financial Review

  with their associated extended 

on sale period delivering significant gains in issue circulation and an opportunity for 
advertisers to extend reach.  The apparent declines in Weekend 

Financial Review

 

circulation are attributable to Easter falling outside of the March period this year.  
Underlying circulation fundamentals for the Weekend 

Financial Review

 remain strong.  

Note that as we move from bi-annual to quarterly audit periods these variations 
will become more pronounced.  

 

  

 

3 of 4

 

Embargoed until midnight Thursday 20th April, 2006.  Not for publication until that time

. 

Prepared by John Fairfax Holdings.

 

 

MIKE GAME

  

 

CHIEF

 

 OPERATING OFFICER

 

 

FAIRFAX 

 

DIGITAL

 

 

Fairfax Digital's network of news, information and classified sites recorded another period 
of outstanding audience growth, with its domestic unique browser base increasing by 
46% to 7.8 million per month year on year.   

MyCareer.com.au continues to be the fastest growing employment classified site in 
Australia, whilst drive.com.au has increased its audience ranking for the second period.  

The Commonwealth Games coverage in late March showcased the richness and variety 
of content produced by theage.com.au and smh.com.au, with extensive video, 
multimedia and interactive content being devoured by our audiences in Victoria, NSW, 
across Australia, and internationally. 

 

 
 

 

Prepared by John Fairfax Holdings  

For further information or comment please contact Bruce Wolpe on ph: 9282 3640  

or by e-mail at bwolpe@mail.fairfax.com.au.

 

  

4 of 4

 

Embargoed until midnight Thursday 20th April, 2006.  Not for publication until that time

. 

Prepared by John Fairfax Holdings.

 

 

ABC - 6 MONTH CIRCULATION FOR MARCH 2006 

EMBARGOED UNTIL 12 MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 20TH APRIL 2006 

FOR PUBLICATION FRIDAY 21ST APRIL 2006 

Publication & Region 

Six months 

to Mar 06 

Six months 

to Mar 05 

Change 

Mar 06 

- Mar 

05 

% 

Change 

Mar 06 - 

Mar 05 

NATIONAL 

  

  

 

  

The Australian Financial Review (M-F) 

85,537 84,972 

565 

0.7% 

The Australian Financial Review (Sat) 

85,392 89,199 

-3,807 

-4.3% 

The Australian (Mon-Fri) 

130,758 132,300 

-1,542 

-1.2% 

The Weekend Australian 

289,949 293,252 

-3,303 

-1.1% 

NEW SOUTH WALES & ACT 

  

  

  

  

The Sydney Morning Herald (Mon-Fri) 

 211,700+            210,600 

1,100 

0.5% 

The Sydney Morning Herald (Sat) 

 365,500+            360,173 

5,327 

1.5% 

The Sun-Herald 

 520,600+            518,052 

2,548 

0.5% 

The Daily Telegraph (Mon-Fri) 

          388,686            381,996 

6,690 

1.8% 

The Daily Telegraph (Sat) 

          347,889            343,948 

3,941 

1.1% 

The Sunday Telegraph 

          698,779            730,266 

-31,487 

-4.3% 

Newcastle Herald (Mon-Sat) 

            52,749              52,546 

203 

0.4% 

Illawarra Mercury (Mon-Sat) 

            30,158              29,780 

378 

1.3% 

Canberra Times (Mon-Fri) 

            36,226              37,182 

-956 

-2.6% 

Canberra Times (Sat) 

            67,734              69,872 

-2,138 

-3.1% 

Canberra Times (Sun) 

            36,708              37,836 

-1,128 

-3.0% 

VICTORIA 

  

  

  

  

The Age (Mon-Fri) 

 197,600+ 

 192,800+ 

4,800 

2.5% 

The Age (Sat) 

 300,500+ 

 298,100+ 

2,400 

0.8% 

The Sunday Age 

 207,100+ 

 196,900+ 

10,200 

5.2% 

The Herald-Sun (Mon-Fri) 

 545,000+ 

 549,500+ 

-4,500 

-0.8% 

The Herald-Sun (Sat) 

 521,500+ 

 521,000+ 

500 

0.1% 

The Sunday Herald Sun 

 620,000+ 

 613,000+ 

7,000 

1.1% 

Warrnambool Standard 

            12,928              13,125 

-197 

-1.5% 

QUEENSLAND 

  

  

  

  

The Courier Mail (Mon-Fri) 

          206,562            207,983 

-1,421 

-0.7% 

The Courier Mail (Sat) 

          322,470            333,375 

-10,905 

-3.3% 

The Sunday Mail 

          608,192            614,621 

-6,429 

-1.0% 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

  

  

  

  

The Advertiser (Mon-Fri) 

          196,708            200,154 

-3,446 

-1.7% 

The Advertiser (Sat) 

          269,979            274,282 

-4,303 

-1.6% 

Sunday Mail 

          326,823            331,692 

-4,869 

-1.5% 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 

  

  

  

  

West Australian (Mon-Fri) 

          203,972            205,098 

-1,126 

-0.5% 

West Australian (Sat) 

          372,013            375,721 

-3,708 

-1.0% 

Sunday Times 

 350,000+ 

 354,000+ 

-4,000 

-1.1% 

TASMANIA 

  

  

  

  

Mercury (Mon-Fri) 

            48,670              48,919 

-249 

-0.5% 

Mercury (Sat) 

            63,584              64,597 

-1,013 

-1.6% 

Sunday Examiner 

            44,128              44,402 

-274 

-0.6% 

Sunday Tasmanian 

            61,544              60,720 

824 

1.4% 

NORTHERN TERRITORY 

  

  

  

  

Northern Territory News (Mon-Fri) 

            21,340              21,983 

-643 

-2.9% 

Northern Territory News (Sat) 

            31,504              31,664 

-160 

-0.5% 

Sunday Territorian 

            23,728              24,298 

-570 

-2.3% 

5 of 4

 

Embargoed until midnight Thursday 20th April, 2006.  Not for publication until that time

. 

Prepared by John Fairfax Holdings.

 

 
 
 

6 MONTH INTERNET SITE USAGE TO 30TH MARCH 2006 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unique Browsers                         
(NNR Market Intelligence 
Domestic)                        

Ave monthly 

UBs 6 

months to 

Mar 06 

Ave monthly 

UBs 6 

months to 

Mar 05 

 

Growth 

Mar 06 - 

Mar 05 

  

% Growth 

Mar 06 - 

Mar 05 

News Sites 

  

  

 

  

     

FD News and Weather 

3,037,336

2,261,031  

776,305    

34.3%

smh.com.au 2,001,373

1,442,309  559,064 

 

  38.8%

theage.com.au 1,453,527

1,066,648   386,880 

 

  36.3%

Classifieds - Auto 

  

  

 

  

     

drive.com.au 682,435

 

   

     

Classifieds - Employment  

  

  

 

  

     

mycareer.com.au 912,918

596,214  

316,703 

 

 53.1%

Classifieds - Real Estate 

  

  

 

  

     

domain.com.au 1,272,653

714,161  558,493 

 

  78.2%

 

 

 

   

   

Source: Nielsen NetRatings Market Intelligence, Domestic.