Reading figures

National Magazine Company's flagship glossy, Cosmopolitan, recorded a nine per cent fall in circulation year on year in the first half of 2010 as the women's lifestyle sector benefited from double-digit growth thanks to new free magazines and resilient performances elsewhere.

Cosmopolitan's average monthly circuation fell to 401,750 over the six months to the end of June. The drop of around 40,000 copies per issue led the magazine to drop from second to sixth in the sector.

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Although some titles enjoyed year-on-year circulation hikes of more than 80 per cent in the second half of 2009, the women's weekly sector could only manage a 2.9 per cent lift overall, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations figures released today.

Northern and Shell's Star magazine soared to an average circulation of 492,067 copies per issue in the six months to the end of last year - an 83.4 per cent rise on the same period last year - while its sister title New reached 600,000, a 35.6 per cent year on year lift - overtaking its more established stablemate OK, along with Heat and Closer magazines to take the number two position.

Women's interest weeklies (all percentages are year on year):

Take a Break -H Bauer Publishing - 900,016 (-4.6%)

New! - Northern & Shell Magazines Ltd -600,741 (35.6%)

OK! Magazine - Northern & Shell PLC - 588,546 (15.7%)

Closer - Bauer Consumer Media - 539,135 (-0.2%)

Star - Northern & Shell PLC - 492,067 (83.4%)

Heat - Bauer Consumer Media - 458,858 (-2.5%)

Chat - IPC Media Ltd - 440,093 (-6.2%)

Hello! - Hello! Ltd - 409,043 (-3.4%)

Now - IPC Media Ltd - 394,130 (-9.1%)

That's Life - H Bauer Publishing - 378,551 (-10.7%)

National Enquirer (UK Edition) - American Media Inc - 76,504 (-4.9%)

The Lady - The Lady - 28,782 (9.3%)

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IPC Media's weekly rock magazine NME suffered a year-on-year circulation slump of 17.3 per cent in the first half of 2010 as sales of music and film titles slumped.
NME had an average weekly circulation of 33,875 in the six months to the end of June, according to figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Rivals to NME also suffered in a bad set of results for entertainment titles. Circulation of Bauer's Q Magazine dropped 10.7 per cent compared to the first half of 2009, taking it to an average of 89,450 per issue.

Music magazines (percentages represent year-on-year change)
The Fly - 108,207 (0.4%)
Mojo - 91,678 (-6.2%)

Q - 89,450 (-10.7%)

RWD -78,867 (1.7%)

Uncut - 74,067 (-3.2%)

Classic Rock - 70,323 (0.0%)

Metal Hammer - 44,034 (-4.3%)

Kerrang! - 44,013 (1.8%)

New Musical Express - 33,875 (-17.3%)

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