Hungary’s print media fell on more hard times in 2007 as copy sales again fell compared to the previous year, Privátbankár.hu reports, citing a conference by the Hungarian Newspaper Publishers Association (MLE).
Last year the newspaper market fell 5%, with the national papers losing more, while their local counterparts lost fewer readers.
Newspapers have become much like luxury products, which are not included in basic household expenses, Győző Köő-Tóth, CEO of distributor company Medialog Zrt said.
There are less than 100 papers in Lapker Zrt’s portfolio that sold at least 70% of their print run last year, commercial director Balázs Horváth said. Lapker distributes about 1,800 papers from 670 publishers.
The number of copies delivered by the national postal monopoly Magyar Posta Zrt fell from 212 million in 1999 to 95 million in 2007, even though the company spent Ft 700 million on recruiting subscribers, distribution director Ildikó Gáspár announced.
Surveys show that people rely on television, internet and radio for sources of information more than they do on papers, she added. Among Magyar Posta’s subscribers, the over-50 age group and those with a living standard below the average are overrepresented.