Although printed news is poised on a precipice of change, the annual daily newspaper readership study from NADbank indicates that for now, it’s business as usual.

The NADbank study this spring was presented with two data sets: the main study, which outlined blended readership results for 2010 and 2009, and a separate supplementary data set for 2010 only, based on a smaller sample set and covering 31 daily newspapers in seven markets. For more information on the 2010 study’s methodology, click here.

The main study, which provides readership results for 82 Canadian newspapers in 53 markets, again showed that 73% of Canadian adults read a printed edition of a daily newspaper each week, the same level of readership found in the 2009 report. However, the survey showed an increase in the number of adults who read a daily newspaper or visit a newspaper website on a weekly basis: 15 million adults (78% reach) said they did so, compared with 14.7 million in 2009.

The report also found that 22% of Canadian adults visit a newspaper site each week, but that the ‘majority’ of Canadians read both print and online editions. Only 6% of respondents said they only visit a newspaper’s website, up 2% over last year.

Forty-seven percent of respondents said they read a printed newspaper during the week, while 43% said they read a Saturday edition and 21% a Sunday edition.

The results of the report paint a rosy picture for the print industry in Canada, despite the rapid changes taking place in distribution media, Anne Crassweller, president, NADbank, tells MiC.

‘We were really delighted to see once again that readership was steady for newspapers,’ she says. ‘Newspaper readership went up a bit in 2010 and that reinforces that Canadians love daily newspapers and that they’re reading them. The industry has changed – it’s now newspapers anytime, anywhere – but you’re seeing Canadians capitalize on that. They can use newspapers all day long, and that’s why we combine digital readership with print readership.’

For 2010 only, the newspaper with the highest total weekly readership (qualified as the number of adults who read at least one printed or online daily newspaper in the past week) across the top five major markets was the Toronto Star at 2.3 million readers. Toronto was also the market with the highest total weekly readership amongst the top five markets, at 3.4 million, while Vancouver claimed the most reach in total weekly readership, at 81%.

The second-highest paid daily in Toronto was the Globe and Mail, with 1.12 million readers (25% reach), while Metro ranked highest among the free dailies with a total weekly readership of 1.12 million and 25% reach as well.

In Montreal, Le Journal de Montreal claimed top spot in the total weekly readership category, with 1.3 million readers and 41% reach, with La Presse hot on its heels at 956,400 readers and 31% reach.

Vancouver’s most-read newspaper, offline and online, on a weekly basis was The Province at 937,000 and 49% reach, followed by the Vancouver Sun, at 907,100 and 48% reach.

In politically savvy Ottawa-Gatineau, the Ottawa Citizen claimed the total weekly readership top spot, with 503,600 readers and 52% reach, followed by the Ottawa Sun, with 324,200 readers and 33% reach.

Calgary results showed that the Calgary Herald achieved a total weekly readership of 559,800 and 57% reach, hitting the top spot on the market’s list, followed by the Calgary Sun, with 408,700 in total weekly readership and 41% reach.

Correction: In the newsletter this morning, Media in Canada incorrectly stated that ‘weekly readership overall is holding steady at 73%.’ The percentage was in fact referring to print only. The combined reach of total weekly readership across print and online was 78%.