Der Spiegel with increased circulation and lower sales
Under its new editors-in-chief, Georg Mascolo and Matthias Müller, the news magazine *Der Spiegel* was able to increase its circulation. Revenue, however, declined.
The news magazine Der Spiegel was able to increase its circulation under the new editors-in-chief Georg Mascolo and Matthias Müller. It had a circulation of 1.046 million copies in the fourth quarter of 2008, as reported in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Thursday. This is 3.9 percent more than in the previous year. The number of subscribers remained stable, while newsstand sales increased.
However, the weekly magazine's financial situation is not all rosy: According to the magazine Horizont, the new Spiegel CEO Ove Saffe told Faz that consolidated sales of 330 million euros are expected for 2008. That is a minus of 5.7 percent. Magazine sales (Spiegel and Manager-Magazin) fell by 6.5 percent to 239 million euros. The operating result will be down by a double-digit rate on the previous year (57 million euros). Advertising revenues fell by ten percent and this is likely to continue in the new year, according to Staffe. He wants to do business with spin-off magazines, starting with Spiegel Geschichte at the end of January. The Spiegel Wissen project will also continue, but no longer as a joint venture with Bertelsmann. According to Staffe, the Sunday operations will probably be discontinued. All areas of the publishing house would have to "counteract" costs.
However, the weekly magazine's financial situation is not all rosy: According to the magazine Horizont, the new Spiegel CEO Ove Saffe told Faz that consolidated sales of 330 million euros are expected for 2008. That is a minus of 5.7 percent. Magazine sales (Spiegel and Manager-Magazin) fell by 6.5 percent to 239 million euros. The operating result will be down by a double-digit rate on the previous year (57 million euros). Advertising revenues fell by ten percent and this is likely to continue in the new year, according to Staffe. He wants to do business with spin-off magazines, starting with Spiegel Geschichte at the end of January. The Spiegel Wissen project will also continue, but no longer as a joint venture with Bertelsmann. According to Staffe, the Sunday operations will probably be discontinued. All areas of the publishing house would have to "counteract" costs.
