`Irish Times' readership up 9% in 2000-survey

Readership of the State's morning newspapers rose last year, but certain Sunday and evening titles lost readers, according to survey findings published today.

The Joint National Readership Research (JNRR) study shows The Irish Times gained more readers in percentage terms than any other morning title. It shows that 311,000 adults read the newspaper each day in 2000, 9.1 per cent more than a year earlier when it had 285,000 readers.

The Irish Times was read by 185,000 adults in Dublin, more than any other morning title.

Of its total readership, 84.2 per cent were in the ABC1 category, greater than any other newspaper published in the Republic. The survey shows that 34.7 per cent of all Irish Times readers last year were under 34.

In addition, 67 per cent of Irish Times readers lived in one of the State's five largest cities - Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick or Waterford. This compares to 50 per cent a year earlier.

Overall, 1.46 million people read morning newspapers in 2000, a 6.4 per cent rise on 1999, when there were 1.39 million readers.

Readership of the Irish In- dependent grew by 5.2 per cent to 644,000, 32,000 more than in 1999. The survey shows that the newspaper was read by 176,000 adults in Dublin. Of its entire readership, 51.4 per cent were in the ABC1 category and 33.4 per cent were under 34.

Readership of the Irish Examiner grew by 5 per cent, to 238,000. The Cork-based newspaper was titled the Examiner before a re-launch last April, which was designed to increase circulation outside Munster by taking readers from the Irish In- dependent.

The JNRR says 92.4 per cent of Irish Examiner readers lived in Munster in 2000, while 6.3 per cent lived in Dublin and the rest of Leinster.

Readership of the Star grew by 4.7 per cent to 443,000 last year. That newspaper is published by Independent News & Media and the Express Group.

The readership of competing tabloids published in London is not measured in the JNRR survey. Neither is the performance of Sunday newspapers published outside the State.

Sunday titles published in the Republic had 2.02 million readers last year, an increase of only 1,000 on 1999.

Two Sunday newspapers lost readers last year. Readership of the Sunday World fell by 70,000 to 981,000, a drop of 6.7 per cent. Ireland on Sunday lost 8.6 per cent of its readers in 2000. That newspaper, which was purchased last May by Scottish Radio Holdings, was read by 180,000 people, 17,000 fewer than in 1999.

The Sunday Independent was the most widely read Sunday title. It had 1.09 million readers last year, a 1.9 per cent gain of 20,000 on its readership in 1999. The Sunday Business Post had 156,000 readers, 20 per cent more than in 1999. Readership of the Sunday Tribune grew by 5.7 per cent to 258,000, 14,000 more than a year earlier.

A rise in the total readership of evening titles is attributed to growth of the Evening Echo, published by the Examiner Group. It had 87,000 readers last year, 18,000 more than in 1999. The Evening Herald lost readers. It was read in 2000 by 357,000 adults, 10,000 fewer than a year earlier.

This latest JNRR survey assesses the reading habits of 6,072 people - almost 20 per cent more than in the 1999 study. Such increases are deemed to enhance the quality of statistical research.

The survey is compiled by Lansdowne Market Research for the National Newspapers of Ireland, the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland, the Association of Advertisers in Ireland, and other bodies in the advertising and cinema industries.