• by Michael Shields , October 12, 2004

The magazine industry appears to have regained its footing, according to new figures released Monday by the Publishers Information Bureau. The data reveals that ad pages increased for a fifth consecutive month, pushing the previous eleven-month slide further into memory. In fact, September saw the highest monthly growth in a year-and-a-half, increasing 8.5 percent (25,165.36 pages), the biggest leap since March 2003, when pages were up 9.1 percent.

Estimated magazine ad revenues for September was up a whopping 17.1 percent versus a year ago, closing at $2,286,636,158, though ad pages are deemed the more valid indicator of advertising demand.

For the year, pages are now creeping in the black, having increased by 2.2 percent after having been down or flat for the majority of the year. Revenue for the year has increased a healthy 9.7 percent.

September's performance was clearly the strongest of the recent five-month surge, which had been characterized by modest growth until now. Nine of the 12 major advertising categories recorded gains in revenue and page increases in September, with five categories posting double-digit gains.

Retail (+37 percent in pages) and Public Transportation, Hotels and Resorts (+24 percent in pages) were the leading gainers for the month. Meanwhile, Financial, Insurance & Real Estate posted its seventh consecutive month of increases.

For the year, seven of the 12 major advertising categories have increased in revenue and pages, led by Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Media & Advertising; Public Transportation, Hotels & Resorts; and Retail.

"Magazine advertising hit a high for the year in September, illustrating that advertisers continue to recognize magazines as a unique medium that engages consumers in an age of interruption," stated Ellen Oppenheim, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Magazine Publishers of America.