U.S. magazine ad page growth stalls

U.S. magazine advertising growth slowed down in the second quarter of 2011, according to latest figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. Total ad pages remained flat at 43,671, only up 0.3 percent from 43,543 year-over-year, Media Post reported.

In the first quarter of 2011, total ad pages increased 2.5 percent, while in the first half of this year, total ad pages are up 1.3 percent to 79,426.

Just like the U.S. economy, magazine advertising was supposed to outperform or at least maintain the first quarter pace in the second. However, according to PIB data, it delivered a surprisingly weak performance instead.

Over the last few years, consumer magazines have impacted by the prolonged decline in the real-estate market, due to a number of big shelter publications closing as key categories dried up. This trend continued in the first half, with total ad pages in the home furnishings and supplies category plunging 11.4 percent to 4,095. That’s a huge decline of 46 percent from the first half of 2006, The Association of Magazine Media reported.

Image: Monrovia Weekly