If you’re reading Metro Halifax, count yourself among the growing number of people doing it in HRM.
According to the latest Newspaper Audience Databank survey results released today, Metro Halifax has the highest reach of readers for any free daily in Canada. Fourteen per cent of people in HRM read Metro Halifax each day, and that number rises to 37 per cent over the course of a week.
“I am absolutely thrilled by the results of our first readership survey,” said Metro Halifax publisher Greg Lutes. Metro Halifax reaches 43,400 readers every day and over the course of a week 1 in 3 Haligonians read Metro Halifax.
“This is just outstanding as the survey was conducted in our first year of publishing and does not fully reflect our continued growth in circulation which is now 33,000 copies Monday to Friday, up 32% since our launch in February of 2008.”
More good news from the survey is the vast majority of Canadians continue to read newspapers.
Last year, 69 per cent of Canadians–12.9 million people–read a newspaper over the course of a week, and when online readers are added in, that number grows to 77 per cent.
“Newspapers continue to play an important role in the lives of Canadians,” said Metro English Canada group publisher Bill McDonald. “Readers in the millions rely on newspapers every day for the information that is important to their lives.”
As newspapers maintain their strength, Metro Canada is setting the industry standard — not just as the most read free daily in the country, but for all papers.
Metro Canada now reaches more than 1.1 million readers every day, an increase of 157,600 (17 per cent) over 2007. Weekly Metro readers in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver total 2.26 million, or 12 per cent more than in 2007.
“The Metro brand has solidified its leadership position from coast to coast,” said McDonald. “Readers and advertisers alike turn to Metro first every day for information, ideas and inspiration.”
