Monthly Archives: October 2012

AltMedia Readership Timeline Shows Little Change Year-to-Year

By Mark Hanzlik, Executive Director

Just as the Summer reaches peak temperatures each year, we receive an annual readership summary report of AltMedia from The Media Audit.   This year was no exception though the arrival was a few weeks later than usual, the results were nearly identical to the previous year.

In this report, we not only receive individual market readership data but also network-wide totals and averages that allow us to view a timeline of AltMedia Readership across a number of years at once.

Here’s some of the top-line numbers and a few takeaways from the newest report.

Total number of publications:   129

Total number of markets:  86

Last issue cume (18+ yrs) Readership:  13,100,000

Four-issue cume (18+ yrs) Readership:  24,700,000

Categories with little change over previous year:   Education, Income,
Household stats

Categories with change in index over previous year:  Age (younger),
Drink wine or beer frequently (increase),  purchasing CD’s, etc (decrease)

Overall, the single issue and 4-issue cume reach by altmedia readers dropped from the previous report indicating  less readership of the printed products while at the same time on the online side, viewership continues to increase.

We also use the network-wide readership figures on a single marketing sheet summary for AltMedia readership, here’s the latest (shown below).

Layout 1
The Media Audit Survey period data is drawn from January 2011 – March 2012 report period.

Political Ad Disguised as Movie Fare Delivers Revenue to 32 Alt Weeklies

By Mark Hanzlik, Executive Director

It seemed like a gift because it had been so long since we had seen a network-wide political ad of any kind.   Even the big election year of 2008 had brought very little advertising to AWN and many of its member papers.   That changed the last week of September when AWN Prez and Editor/Publisher of Newcity delivered a 32-paper,  well-timed political gift in the form of a full page 4-color film placement for Obama’s America 2016.

The film was clearly being distributed as marketing tool for Mitt Romney, pushing the film’s agenda in only Battleground States.  AltWeeklies in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin became the immediate recipients of the film ads.   Though we’re not certain where the funds for the ads originated, the St. Louis-based agency Content180 complied with prepayment for the entire campaign prior to October 1.    A number of alt weeklies also provided value-added online coverage for the campaign in the month of October.

Print ad version below.

Obama_AW_Ad_9x10