By Kevin McCauley
Average weekday circulation at 635 newspapers dipped five percent for the six-month period ended September 30, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. That compares to 10.5 percent plunge during last year’s period.
The Wall Street Journal, which ranks as the No. 1 paper with a circulation of 2.1M, was the only top 10 paper to post a gain. It was up 1.8 percent. The Journal factors in 450K electronic subscribers to its numbers. USA Today fell 3.7 percent to 1.8M, while the New York Times slid 5.5 percent to 876,638.
Rounding out the Top Ten are Los Angeles Times (down 8.7 percent to 600,449), Washington Post (-6.4% to 545,345), New York Daily News (-5.8% to 512,501), New York Post (-1.3% to 505,501), San Jose Mercury News (477,592, `09 figures not available), Chicago Tribune (-5.2% to 441,508) and Houston Chronicle (-10.5% to 343,952).
Cablevision’s Newsday was the biggest loser among the top 25. Circulation plummeted 11.8 percent to 314,848. The San Francisco Chronicle fell 11.2 percent and the Newark Star-Ledger slid 9.3 percent to 223,037. The Dallas Morning News was the only other paper to post a gain, up 0.3 percent to 264,459.
The combined Sunday circulation of 553 papers dipped 4.5 percent, an improvement from the 7.5 percent plunge in `09.
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