A. H. Belo - Competitors

A. H. Belo Competition

Now Viewing A. H. Belo's competition in: Newspapers and News Organizations (primary)

Recent Developments

Websites Increase Newspapers' Total Readership - The US newspaper industry's print circulation is falling, mainly due to a few companies' declines, but total readership is increasing, due to newspapers' websites, according to Media Life. Some large metro newspapers, most notably The Miami Herald, recently suffered up to 12 percent readership loss over 12 months, driving down the industry's circulation totals. Other papers have gained: nationals like The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and metro papers in San Jose, Baltimore, Orlando, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Unique visitors at newspaper websites increased 12.3 percent during first quarter 2008, according to the Newspaper Association of America, expanding total readership.

Newspaper Production Levels Continue Drop - Lower customer demand has caused newspaper companies to reduce production of printed products. US newspaper publishers' production declined 12.8 percent in April 2008 from year-earlier levels. Average annual newspaper production decreased 10.5 percent in 2007, the seventh consecutive year of declining output.

Industry Contains Price Increases - Faced with declining demand for print and rising demand for digital products, the newspaper industry struggles to contain price increases. US newspaper publishers increased prices 1.7 percent in April 2008 compared to a year earlier. The industry's average annual producer prices rose 2.6 percent in 2007, but about 28 percent in five years.

Competitive Landscape

The health of the economy drives both advertising and readership. The profitability of individual companies depends on marketing expertise, as most costs are fixed. Large companies benefit from economies of scale in sharing resources and by providing a range of outlets for advertisers. Small publishers can compete successfully by serving smaller markets. The industry is fairly labor-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is about $120,000.

Full Industry Overview For Newspapers and News Organizations

Newspapers and News Organizations Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output of US newspaper publishers is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 3 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Newspaper Publishing Growth Dips and Recovers

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.