In April 2009, MEN Media announced a change to the distribution pattern of its Manchester Evening News part-paid, part-free model which they claimed would better reflect the way customers purchase advertising space to promote their goods and services.
This meant that free copies were reduced from the early part of the week where there is less demand.
Under the existing ABC rules, this more bespoke distribution pattern would not be represented clearly and as a result MEN Media have opted to temporarily withdraw the Manchester Evening News from ABC and instead publish its circulation figures through an independently audited Publisher Statement.
The Publisher Statement below shows the independently audited average circulation for the Manchester Evening News, from April 09 to June 09, which is broken-down into three daily groupings - Monday to Wednesday, Thursday to Friday and Saturday, providing greater transparency for their Advertisers.
Manchester Evening News Publisher Statement
Daily Groupings & Daily Average Circulation in copies, April – June 2009
Monday to Wednesday: 88,556
Thursday to Friday: 165,238
Saturday: 67,349
Ruth Spratt, Managing Director of MEN Media, says ‘We continue to have a very good relationship with ABC and have no intention of removing any of our other titles. Furthermore we hope that in the not too distant future, through continued discussion, our more bespoke and transparent distribution pattern is included within ABC rules and we can look to move the Manchester Evening News back into ABC’.
Ruth continues ‘In these unprecedented times for our industry and the economy, we continue to look for innovative ways to provide our readers and advertisers with the most effective media offering by flexing all elements of our portfolio, whether through print, broadcast or online’.
