According to an interim management statement out today like-for-like ad revenue was also down, 4.6% year on year in the 17 weeks to 31 October. Total ad revenue increased 13% year on year, boosted by regional titles acquired from GMG, which included the Manchester Evening News.
Trinity Mirror, led by chief executive Sly Bailey, said that excluding the difficult month of September, ad revenue was down 3.4% year on year during the period, an improvement of 0.7% from the declines experienced in the first half of the year.
Adjusted circulation revenue was down 6.7% year on year, though including the GMG Regional Media business circulation revenue was down 4% year on year.
Like-for-like ad revenues at the Regionals division fell by 6.7% year on year for the period, an improvement on the 8% decline experienced in the first half. Including GMG Regional Media, however, ad revenue grew by 21.4% year on year.
Trinity Mirror said recruitment advertising revenue from its national recruitment sites, part of the Regionals business led by managing director Georgina Harvey, has moved into growth in recent months.
Like-for-like circulation revenue declined 7.1% year on year in the Regionals division, though actual revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same period last year
Excluding GMG Regional Media digital revenue fell 3.3% year on year, though overall reported digital revenue grew 6.4% year on year.
Ad revenue in the Nationals division declined by 1.3% year on year, driven by a 5.9% decline in September, although Trinity Mirror said it has not seen a significant change in its ad volume market share over the period.
Excluding September, ad revenue for the period was up 0.8% compared to the same period of 2009 at the Nationals division, which is led by managing director Mark Hollinshead.
National circulation revenue declined 6.5% compared with the same period last year. Digital revenue at the Nationals division was up 3.1% year on year in the period.
Trinity Mirror said trading since the half year has remained volatile due to the fragile economic environment and the uncertainty resulting from the Government spending review but the board remains confident that the group will perform in line with expectations.
Though September ad revenue was below recent trends, the board said it was encouraged by the improvement in the rate of like-for-like revenue decline to 2% year on year.
The board said it envisages the trading environment will remain challenging over the remainder of the year and into 2011, however, it anticipates the rate of decline in revenue will improve.
In February , GMG Regional Media, publisher of the Manchester Evening News, for £7.4m in cash and an agreement to release GMG from a long running print contract worth £37.4m.
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