NSTP papers see massive plunge in circulation after GE13
The Umno-controlled New Straits Times Press newspaper group was hit with a massive drop in circulation in the second half of 2013 while other major dailies stagnated, according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation Malaysia (ABC).
The figures fell after the May 5 general election, which saw the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) lose seven more federal seats despite controlling the mass media, which require a licence and are mostly owned or controlled by political parties in the ruling government.
“Most dailies could not sustain the numbers after the first half of 2013 (January to June 2013), which was during the GE13," the ABC said in a statement following a meeting in Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
“Sin Chew Jit Poh (day) is the number one daily with 366,390 copies followed by Harian Metro at 342,689 copies and The Star with 289,611 copies.
“Under the free and controlled category, The Sun recorded 305,000 copies, Red Tomato 209,599 copies and Malaysia SME 50,000 copies,” the ABC said.
The ABC figures released today showed that the total copies of newspapers sold in West Malaysia dropped by more than 260,000 from July to December 2013.
The NSTP's English daily, New Straits Times, had the biggest drop in circulation in the group when it plunged by 32.78% or 37,885 copies from July to December 2013.
Circulation for its Sunday edition, the New Sunday Times, also fell by about 25% to 98,776 copies in December 2013.
NSTP's Malay dailies Berita Harian and Harian Metro also lost circulation by 25% and 11% respectively, although the afternoon tabloid Harian Metro used to be the most widely-circulated newspaper in Malaysia.
ABC said that in December 2013, Harian Metro's circulation was 342,689 copies, while its Sunday edition's circulation dropped by 10%.
The circulation for Berita Harian's Sunday edition also fell more than 26,000 copies or 14%.
But the Umno-owned Malay broadsheet Utusan Malaysia survived better than the NSTP papers, although its circulation slid 6.3% or 12,204 copies in the second half of 2013.
Utusan's Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia, was the highest circulated Malay newspaper in December 2013, slipping by 1.74% in circulation compared to in June.
The ABC report said that Utusan group's tabloid Kosmo and its Sunday edition Kosmo Ahad, also saw an increase in circulation for the July-December period.
Malaysia's most popular English newspaper, The Star and Sunday Star kept its circulation at close to 300,000 copies, rising less than 1000 copies between July to December 2013.
But the paper said subscription for its digital edition E-paper had risen.
Respected business newspaper The Edge's circulation rose from 20,720 in June to 24,284 by year's end, up 17%.
There was also a circulation drop among the Chinese newspapers, except for the China Press which held its circulation at 176,000 copies between July to December 2013.
ABC said that circulation dropped by 5.4% for Guan Ming Daily, 3.6% for Guan Ming Evening Edition, China Press Evening Edition (5.9 %), Sin Chew Daily (4.9%) and Sin Chew Evening Edition (11%). – June 4, 2014.
