Magazines Hold Their Readers During Tough Advertising Climate.

Consumer magazines may be fighting for scarce advertising dollars with television and other media, but their readership has been strong over the past year, according to the latest data on U.S. magazine audiences from Mediamark Research Inc.

Strong magazine categories year-to-year include Epicurean, Newsweeklies, Automotive and Men’s. Across all 206 consumer titles reported by MRI, total audience increased 1.9% from the spring of 2001 to the spring of 2002. Total audience is defined as circulation multiplied by readers-per-copy.

Of the 206 reported titles, 59% increased their readership year-to-year and 41% lost readers.

MRI is the country’s leading provider of magazine audience research data. The company releases data to its clients twice yearly, in the spring and fall.

Over the past year, the cooking or epicurean magazines tracked by MRI have seen their audiences grow by 12.1%, the biggest increase of any category. Newsweeklies increased their total audience by 8.2%, while automotive titles grew by 4.8% and men’s publications by 4.7%.

Total audiences for so-called shelter magazines were flat, while business/personal finance declined 1.6% and computer titles dropped by 6.4%.

“Magazines are an essential source of news, information and entertainment for American consumers and loyalty to the medium is deep,” said Kathi D. Love, president and CEO of MRI. “Magazine readers are considerably more upscale than the average American, and magazine readership remains consistent in good times and bad.”