Consumer Magazine Circulation Falls 1.2 Percent In Second Half 2010

Consumer magazines slowed their general circulation skid, with total paid and verified circ dropping 1.2 percent for the second half of 2010 (compared to a 2.3 percent drop in the first half of the year), according to preliminary figures reported in the Audit Bureau of Circulations' most recent FAS-FAX, which was released Monday.

Newsstand sales accelerated their fall, down 7.3 percent (compared to a 5.6 percent drop in the beginning of the year). Total paid subscriptions also fell 1.2 percent. A total of 550 titles reported total paid and verified circ in both the December 2009 and December 2010 periods, ABC says.

Of the top 25 titles by total paid and verified circ, just 10 increased total paid and verified circulation for the six month period ended December 31, 2010, over the six months ended December 31, 2009. Game Informer magazine had the biggest increase for the second six-month period in a row, up 33 percent to 5.1 million. Reader's Digest--the fourth largest magazine at 5.5 million circ--posted the largest drop of the top 25 for the second six-month period in a row, down 22.2 percent. Reader's Digest previously announced a circulation reduction.

AARP the Magazine (24.4 million circ) and AARP Bulletin (24 million circ) were the largest reporting titles, despite 2.6 percent and 1.9 percent circulation drops, respectively. Better Homes & Gardens was the third largest title at 7.7 million (up less than 1 percent)

Food & Family had the biggest gain, up 203.1 percent to 1.1 million circ. Newsmax had the second biggest jump, up 111.1 percent to 228,337, while Vanidades rounded out the top three gainers, up 33.3 percent to 192,181.

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