Magazine ad pages continue to fall despite growing audience

The Publishers Information Bureau (PIB) tracks 219 titles and for most magazines its year-end figures weren't enjoyable reading. Almost three quarters, 158 titles, posted ad page decreases in 2012. Overall, total ad pages fell from 168,712 in 2011 to 154,838 last year, a drop of 8.2%.

Women's Interest titles took the biggest hit:

- Martha Stewart Living - down 29%;
- Shape - down 22.7%;
- Lucky - down 22.2%;
- Ladies' Home Journal - down 21.9%.

For an industry that relies on advertising to survive, the continuing drop in ad pages is worrying. But, more than that, it's happening during a time when magazine audiences are on the rise.

According to the Association of Magazine Media, "2012 Audience figures for print titles and their digital replicas have grown 1.6%, adding 135 million new readers whose interests and passions are served when, where and how they choose."

The few titles that posted ad page increases are:

- Ebony - up 22.9%;
- Allure - up 18.5%;
- Food Network Magazine - up 17.%;
- OK Weekly - up 13.2%.

Tags: ad pages, advertising, digital magazine, magazine, media, print magazine, publishing