The incredible shrinking Metro

   

Last November, Metro Boston proudly announced that it had surpassed the Herald and become Boston's second-largest daily newspaper, with an average circulation of almost 187,000. "The increase in circulation validates what we have seen around the globe, that the free daily newspaper model is the future of the industry," Stuart Layne, Metro Boston's publisher, said at the time.

Um...maybe not? According to a brand-new Certified Audit of Circulations report, Metro Boston's average circulation for the quarter ending September 30, 2007 was 135,888. That's a drop of more than 51,000 papers/day, or around 27 percent. (As for Layne, he's no longer with the paper.)

Oskar Bjorner, Metro Boston's acting publisher, wasn't available for comment this afternoon; I was told to try back Monday, and I shall. In the meantime, Boston Globe Media might want to consider revising its Metro Boston Web page.

Published Mar 29 2008, 12:29 AM by Adam Reilly

• reader said:

  It is my understanding that the audit figures have been in house at the Metro for quite some time, in fact the Dec. 07 audit numbers are available but Metro is not releasing them. To claimed they had surpassed the Herald and even ran ads to that effect in the Metro as well as the Globe, while knowing that it wasn't true. A little shady for my taste. I am curious to hear the comments of the acting publisher and to hear the comments of the advertisers that have been quoted false circulation figures for over six months. Maybe this type of thing is no big deal in Europe. Any comments Oskar?
  March 29, 2008 1:49 PM

• reader II said:

  For all any of this matters... ex-Metro employees say the paper's been on cruise control since Stuart Layne left. From a reader's perspective, what's the real difference?
  April 10, 2008 4:48 AM

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