Daily newspapers still have the eyeballs, according to the latest Newspaper Audience Databank (NADBank) report. Released today, the 2008 study, which spans 80 Canadian daily newspapers (and two Detroit dailies) in 54 urban markets across Canada, representing 72% of adults in the country, reveals that daily newspaper readership remains stable in the top 19 markets across Canada. In fact, 13.7 million adults (18+) are reading a printed edition of a daily each week as a source of local news, as well as for arts and entertainment coverage. It also found that the total number of readers in those top 19 markets remains relatively unchanged compared to the 2007 study.
Readership results for eight multi-market dailies found the Globe and Mail leading in total weekly readership across 49 markets at 2,926,000 (up 4% from last year); the Toronto Star at 2,802,000 across 19 markets; the Toronto Sun at 1,753,000 across 15 markets; and the National Post at 1,444,600 across 42 markets. On the free commuter front, Metro‘s weekly readership came in at 2,534,600 across six markets; and 24 Hours at 1,879,600 across five markets.
In respective major markets, the Toronto Star led its market with a total weekly readership of 2,144,300 (49% of the audience), followed by the Toronto Sun at 1,185,900 (27%), the Globe and Mail at 999,300 (23%), and the National Post at 537,700 (12%).
In Vancouver, the Province lead the market with a total weekly readership of 866,800 (47% of the audience), followed closely by the Vancouver Sun at 841,600 (45%).
In Montreal, La Presse shows a 6/7 Day Cume of 803,000, and Le Journal de Montreal shows 1,129,600.
The Globe and Mail‘s online readership also saw growth – up 16% over last year to a weekly average of 1,110,400. Overall, the report indicated that 77% of adults read both printed and online editions of daily newspapers each week, but that only 4% of adults read only online editions – even though readership of online editions of daily newspapers grew by 13% since 2007.
Readership of online editions is highest per capita in Halifax, where 30% of adults read an online edition each week. This is followed by adults living in North Bay (27%), St John’s, Nfld. (27%), Ottawa-Gatineau (26%), Thunder Bay (24%), Fredericton (24%), Sault Ste. Marie (23%) and Toronto (23%).
In the top 10 markets, the highest daily and weekly readership per capita is in Winnipeg, where three new free dailies were measured in 2008. In Calgary, both Metro and 24 Hours were measured, and in Halifax Metro was measured. Free daily newspapers continue to maintain their position in the marketplace; 1.1 million adults in Toronto read one in the past five weekdays (25% of adults 18+); 717,000 in Montréal (24%); 624,700 in Vancouver (34%); 183,000 in Ottawa-Gatineau (20%); 159,000 in Calgary (17%); and 113,000 in Halifax (37%). (In Edmonton the market readership data does not reflect the total market readership, as the new mid-survey entrants Metro and 24 Hours are not included; readership data for these will be made available in spring 2010.)
Overall, readership tends to be higher in smaller communities than in larger centres, according to the report, with the highest weekday readership in Cape Breton, followed by Summerside, New Glasgow, Charlottetown and Truro, NS. ‘It may be that smaller markets have more stable communities and tend not to be overwhelmed by the breadth of media choices in larger communities,’ states the report.
The study found that there are 12.4 million weekly readers in the top 19 markets, 10.7 million in the top 10 markets and 9.1 million in the one-million-plus markets of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
The report comes with new info on weekly online readership, as well as detailed readership data for the country’s four major markets (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau, and Vancouver). It can be viewed in detail here.
The second stage of the 2008 study – product data – will be released will be released in May.
