Mail gains bulk of Today readers

The bulk of Today newspaper’s readers have relocated to the Daily Mail, according to December’s ABC figures. The Sun, Daily Mirror and Daily Express came trailing far behind.

Media buyers have reacted with relief to the news that the majority of the title’s 558,000 readers have not left the newspaper market altogether, as predicted by some observers.

The Daily Mail’s circulation increased by 4.92 per cent between November, Today’s last month, and December 1995.

Newspaper circulations decrease substantially every December, but the Daily Mail’s circulation increased to 1,987,349, up 259,374, or 15 per cent, compared with December 1994. The Mail’s average growth for the previous six months was 6.9 per cent.

“The Daily Mail was very clever,” says Paul Mukherjee, head of press at The Network. “It approached Today’s readers with a quick offer on home delivery, and drew those readers into its paper.”

The Sun added 88,518, or 2.2 per cent to its circulation year on year, pushing it up to 4,007,580; the Daily Mirror added 51,835 or 2.1 per cent; while the Daily Express managed 23,808 or 1.8 per cent.

The total circulation growth for the tabloid market amounts to 433,931 year on year. Today’s final month circulation was 582,226.

The Mirror Group has increased advertising rates across all its titles by between six and seven per cent. Agency press buyers expect News Group newspapers to follow suit within a month.