NEW YORK (AP) -- Larger newspapers fared better than smaller ones in the latest biannual survey of circulation data by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Eight of the 10 largest papers reported circulation increases for the six months ended March 31, but smaller papers continued to show declines, in keeping with a recent trend, ABC reported Monday.
The Los Angeles Times had the largest percentage gain among the top dailies, climbing 5 percent in weekday circulation to 1,153,706, edging it ahead of The New York Times as the third-largest paper in the country. The New York Times rose 1.3 percent to 1,149,576.The top two spots continued to be occupied by USA Today at 1,837,802 and The Wall Street Journal at 1,812,590. Both figures were up 1.1 percent over the same six-month period a year ago.
Total weekday circulation edged up 0.2 percent among the nearly 800 newspapers reporting figures to the Audit Bureau, according to an analysis of the data done by the Newspaper Association of America, an industry group. Sunday circulation slipped 0.6 percent.
The latest survey came six months after USA Today edged out The Wall Street Journal for the first time as the largest daily newspaper in the nation. USA Today is published by Gannett Co., and the Journal by Dow Jones & Co.
Several newspaper publishers have been seeking changes in the way the Audit Bureau records circulation figures, including disclosure of how many copies are sold below the regular price or given away for promotional purposes.
Among the changes being sought is the removal of the "50 percent rule," which prevents newspapers and other publications from counting as paid circulation any copies that are sold for less than half of their set price, either on newsstands or by subscription.
Dow Jones, which hires the accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers to audit its circulation data, maintains that The Wall Street Journal is still the newspaper that is paid for by more readers than any other. USA Today is often distributed to guests in hotel rooms.
According to the Audit Bureau figures, larger newspapers tended to fare better than smaller ones. Eight of the 10 largest papers in the country all had circulation gains, the only exceptions being the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune.
The Denver papers both posted large gains in circulation thanks to a continuing promotional battle. The Denver Rocky Mountain News had Monday through Saturday circulation of 446,465, up 25.4 percent, while The Denver Post rose 11.7 percent to 413,730.
Overall, newspapers with circulation over 500,000 had an average gain of 1.3 percent in circulation, according to the Newspaper Association, while newspapers with circulations between 250,000 and half a million rose 1.5 percent.
Smaller newspapers had slight declines. Papers with circulations between 100,000 and 249,999 fell 0.01 percent, and circulations between 50,000 and 99,999 fell 0.8 percent. Newspapers with circulations between 25,000 and 49,999 fell 0.6 percent.
Sunday circulation was a sore spot for the industry, with overall circulation slipping 0.6 percent and only one-third of the 601 reporting newspapers showing gains in circulation.