SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bay Area News Group (BANG) is among the media leaders in transforming the newspaper business from print products to digital platform delivery, reaching 3-in-5 adults in its NDM market each week through its digital or print platforms. According to a detailed analysis of the latest audience figures by comScore, unique visitors to BANG’s combined digital platforms (web and mobile) increased by 10% over the past six months while page views were up nearly 25% versus the comparable 6-month period in 2010. Over 70,000 apps have been downloaded to-date and including the digital replica e-edition generate 1.5 million page views per month.
In addition, as measured by Omniture, overall average monthly traffic to BANG’s network of locally oriented sites accounted for an average of 9-million unique monthly visitors who generated nearly 45-million page views per month July-September, 2011. According to comScore, BANG sites have one of the largest online audiences among local media websites in the San Francisco DMA.
“The Bay Area News Group is transforming the way we deliver news and information and delivering it in all the ways our readers want to receive it,” said BANG President Mac Tully. “People are turning to our products to fill their information needs via smart phones, tablets, e-readers, print and PC’s.”
The analysis of the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) Fas-Fax report shows that total circulation for The Sunday Mercury News and its branded publications remained above 600,000 for the six months ending Sept. 30, 2011, at 602,566. The new numbers include circulation for home delivery, single copy and other printed copies and editions, plus readers accessing digital replica and non-replica editions on PC‘s and mobile devices.
Over the past two years, BANG has developed the Bay Area News mobile news app for iPhone and iPad. According to Verve Mobile, in Sept. 2011 the Bay Area News app had 746,300 page views, up 300% since March. BANG also offers Tap-In Bay Area, a guide to news, events and retailers throughout the market.
The Bay Area News Group has also seen solid gains in Facebook fans and Twitter followers and continues to be a leader among local media companies in the social media marketplace. Over the past six months (April - Sept. 2011), fans of the combined BANG Facebook pages have averaged a 92% increase over the previous six-month average. As of Sept. 2011, BANG has a total Facebook audience of 61,100 Fans.
During the same six month period, combined Twitter followers of Bay Area News Group papers averaged a 69% increase over the previous six-month average. As of Sept. 2011, the Bay Area News Group has a total Twitter following of over 161,000.
“Clearly today’s Bay Area News Group papers are a leading force among San Francisco Bay Area media companies,” said David Rounds, BANG Vice President of Circulation. “Our print circulation remains very strong and we’re expanding across platforms that people use to consume news and information, transforming ourselves from a print media company to one that is truly digital in nature.”
The network of websites operated by The Bay Area News Group includes MercuryNews.com, InsideBayArea.com, ContraCostaTimes.com, SantaCruzSentinel.com, MarinIJ.com, TimesHeraldOnline.com, TheReporter.com and SiliconValley.com.
About Bay Area News Group
Bay Area News Group is a division of the California Newspapers Partnership (CNP), majority owned by MediaNews Group along with Partners Stephens Media and Gannett, Inc. CNP is the largest publisher of daily newspapers in California, with a combined circulation of more than 1.1 million. CNP publishes 34 daily newspapers and over 50 weekly publications in California. Its newspapers include the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, and Oakland Tribune in the Bay Area, as well as the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun, and San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group in Southern California. MediaNews Group publishes the Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press Telegram and Torrance Daily Breeze in the Los Angeles area.