Morning News Posts Hefty Circulation Gain

The Morning News had a circulation gain of more than 8 percent on weekdays (to 39,333) and 10 percent Sundays (to 42,006) for the six-month period ended March 31, 2003, when compared to the six-month period ended March 31, 2002.

During the most recent six-month period, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had a circulation gain of 1.4 percent on weekdays (to 31,098) and 1.3 percent on Sundays (to 41,819) in Benton and Washington counties combined.

The numbers are a considerable improvement for The Morning News, but Paul Smith, general manager of the D-G, said much of the increase is from newspapers that are sold in bundles at a 75 percent discount to hospitals, nursing homes and hotels.

“The key is these are not subscribers paying for the newspaper,” Smith said of The Morning News. “These are bundles of newspapers being dropped off at hospitals. We could go in and do that. I just don’t want to. It runs the cost up. You print a bunch of additional copies, and they don’t get read.”

The Morning News’ publisher’s statement filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations showed the number of newspapers sold to hospitals and nursing homes increased from 37 to 888 on weekdays and from 31 to 621 on Sundays between the two six-month periods being compared. The number of copies sold to employees also increased during that time from 281 to 466.

The Morning News’ numbers showed an increase of only 33 subscribers (to 34,286) who paid at least 50 percent or more of the basic price for the newspaper. When the most recent six-month period is compared to the six months ended Sept. 30, however, that increase was 12.2 percent. But Smith said that’s not an apples-and-apples comparison.

Lewis Floyd, circulation director for The Morning News, said the increase in circulation came about because the newspaper is operating more efficiently: A new 36-unit press came online making it possible to go to press earlier and finish sooner.

“We just thought we’d try some tried and true things,” Floyd said. “We worked at improving service and improving product, and apparently the public believes we did that.”

The most recent March 31 numbers have yet to be audited by ABC.

The D-G’s Northwest Arkansas edition is circulated to 12 counties, but the Northwest Arkanas Business Journal uses the numbers from the Benton and Washington county metropolitan area for a direct comparison to The Morning News which circulates only in those counties (with a smattering of distribution across the line in Carroll County).