• by April 8, 2002

Total magazine advertising revenue for the month of March closed at $1,377,102,513, a 1.7% decrease from last year, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB). Advertising pages for March were 19,350, down 10.0% from last year. Year-to-date, advertising revenue decreased 6.3%, closing at $3,286,776,734, and ad pages were 46,624, down 14.1% over last year.

March 2002 vs. 2001

Five of the major advertising categories showed positive dollar growth this March. Gains were noted in Food & Food Products, Automotive, Drugs & Remedies, Direct Response Companies, and Media & Advertising. Losses were most notable in Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Transportation, Hotels & Resorts; Apparel & Accessories; Technology; and Household Furnishings & Supplies. (Twelve categories are the most significant contributors to PIB revenue, comprising more than 85% of total advertising spending.)

January - March 2002 vs. 2001

Gains were noted in three out of 12 categories for the year-to-date comparison, namely in Food & Food Products, Drugs & Remedies, and Direct Response Companies. Losses were most notable for Technology; Transportation, Hotels & Resorts; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; and Apparel & Accessories.

"Overall, the March declines are not as dramatic as those in recent months," noted Ellen Oppenheim, Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, MPA. "We hope that this signals the beginning of an advertising uptick."

Expanded PIB information is available on www.magazine.org/PIB