ABC circulation figures are in...

National newspaper ABCs: sales slide across the board in August

The war in Lebanon, the alleged airport terror plot and the Tommy Sheridan libel trial ensured August was anything but the normal "silly season" for news.

But the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures reveal that the national press in general failed to capitalise - with most titles significantly down compared with August 2005.

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Red-top sales heat up in August

Massive reader interest in the airport chaos caused by the alleged bomb plot saw many tabloid newspapers increase their month-on-month sales during the traditionally quiet holiday month of August.
However, all titles experienced declines on August 2005, when Britain was enthralled by England's exploits in the Ashes cricket series.

News International's flagship title, the Sun, was up 0.51% to an average of 3,223,841 copies each day in August, a fall of 4.09% year on year.

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Standard and Star get best of August newspaper market

A mostly flat August for national newspaper circulation was bucked only by 4% rise for the Evening Standard and the Daily Star and a 2% fall for The Guardian in the latest ABC figures.

Compared with July, overall daily newspaper circulation was up 0.45% to 12,103,114 copies, confounding expectations that sales would be down in the traditionally quiet height of summer.

The figures provide the last snapshot before a wave of 800,000 free newspapers broke over London around the end of August, in the form of Associated's London Lite and News International's thelondonpaper.

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Circulation figures are available here ABC