Magazines Post Gains in PIB Advertising Revenue and Pages in Q2

New York, NY (July 12, 2010) — —For the first time in nine quarters, both total magazine pages and rate-card-reported revenue posted gains, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB). During the second quarter of 2010, magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue closed at $5,210,102,458, generating a 5.7 percent increase against the same period in 2009. PIB recorded 43,427.11 ad pages in the second quarter, a gain of 0.8 percent compared to April through June, of 2009. The fourth quarter of 2007 marked the last time that magazine advertising revenue or pages recorded growth.

Strong second quarter performance helped total magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue for the first half of 2010 rise 1.2 percent, compared to 2009 first half. Total PIB revenue for the first half totaled $ 9,248,770,503, compared to $9,137,487,163 through the first six months of 2009. Ad pages during the first half totaled 78,217.83, declining 4.0 percent compared to January through June, 2009.

"Magazines are benefitting from what appears to be an advertising economic lift during the first half," said Nina Link, President & CEO of Magazine Publishers of America, the organization that administers PIB. "The robust return of Automotive advertising to magazines, aided by equally strong performances by Finance, Real Estate, Toiletries and Cosmetics, helped position magazines for solid second quarter improvement."

Second Quarter 2010 vs. 2009
PIB ad revenue and pages grew in six of 12 major advertising categories during the second quarter of 2010: Automotive; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Toiletries & Cosmetics; Home Furnishings & Supplies; Technology; and Food & Food Products. (Twelve categories are the most significant contributors to PIB revenue, comprising more than 85 percent of total advertising spending.) This marks the first time since 2007, when PIB moved to a quarterly reporting schedule, that the Auto category has posted a double-digit increase in both pages and revenue (28 percent pages / 41 percent revenue). Other categories with double-digit increases in both pages and revenue are Financial, Insurance & Real Estate and Toiletries & Cosmetics.