Celeb Mags Up, Newsweeklies Lose Audience

The latest round of magazine audience data from GfK MRI, covering fall 2010, delivered some good news for the magazine business overall -- but some bad news for specific titles, including the nation's leading newsweeklies, Time and Newsweek.

According to GfK MRI, the total average audience for 216 U.S. consumer magazines in fall 2010 came to about 1.84 billion, up 1% from 1.82 billion in fall 2009.

This included double-digit percentage gains for titles as varied as Bon Appetit, up 11.7% to 7 million (partly reflecting subscribers switched from Conde Nast's shuttered Gourmet); First for Women, up 21.1% to 3.7 million; Fitness, up 23.3% to 7.6 million; In Touch Weekly, up 13.1% to 8.7 million; Lucky, up 14.5% to 2.6 million; and Men's Journal, up 11.1% to 3.7 million.

On the lifestyle front, More was up 31% to 2 million; Self, up 14.1% to 6.6 million; Spin, up 17.8% to 1.9 million; Teen Vogue, up 12.3% to 3.6 million; Traditional Home, up 15.8% to 5 million; and Wired, up 13% to 3.2 million.

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However, a number of major titles suffered continued audience losses this season.

Newsweek saw its total audience tumble 16.1% to 13.9 million, while Time slipped 8% to 19 million. Reader's Digest took an even bigger hit, falling 17.2% or 5.4 million to 26.2 million. Meanwhile, TV Guide fell 16.3% to 13.9 million and National Geographic held steady with a 2.6% decline, to 30.9 million.

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