Daily Newspaper Paid Circulation Data

2008 Daily Newspaper Paid Circulation Data

The Canadian Newspaper Association’s 2008 circulation data report calculates paid circulation levels based on ABC and CCAB audit statements. Due to the change in the data collection periods in 2008, any comparisons over the previous year’s data should be used with caution. Papers audited by CCAB now provide 12-month averages ending December 31. For those dailies measured by ABC, the paid averages of two six-month ABC Fas Fax reports were utilized for the periods ending March 31 and September 30 to provide a 12-month picture. (Previous ABC and CCAB circulation data only reflected the six-month periods ending March 31)

The following two methods of analyses were utilized:

• The average number of copies sold per publishing day (traditional method); and
• The total number of copies sold per week or customer cycle (neo-traditional method).

The daily paid circulation stood at 4.3 million copies on an average publishing day in 2008, and 28 million copies in a week. There were 98 English and French language paid daily newspapers in Canada last year, one less than in 2007 and two less than in 2006. The Daily News in Halifax, a Transcontinental newspaper, ceased publishing in February 2008. The Telegram in St. John’s Newfoundland reduced its publishing cycle to six days a week after ceasing its Sunday edition.

In addition to paid dailies, there are the 37 free daily newspapers distributed in Canada, one more than in 2007 (circulation data on the free newspapers is not included in this report). New to the Atlantic provinces is Halifax Metro, published by Transcontinental together with Metro International SA. This relatively new breed of free dailies came to Canada nine years ago and has had much success in attracting new, young readers. Six ownership groups publish most of these papers for a total of almost 1.7 million copies daily. Torstar and Metro International SA jointly publish Metro in Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Transcontinental publishes Montreal’s Métro together with Metro International SA. Quebecor publishes 24 Hours in Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, in addition to 24 Heures in Ottawa-Gatineau and Montreal. Canwest introduced three free dailies in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa called Rush Hour in 2007, accessible only digitally. Black Press publishes 17 free dailies in various regions across B.C.