The Times’ Daily Circulation Up 8% to Nearly 1.2 Million

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that its daily circulation has increased 8% from a year ago, reaching nearly 1.2 million. Circulation of the Sunday paper rose 7.5% to more than 1.5 million.

The circulation gains cement The Times’ position as the largest metropolitan daily in the country. Last spring, the newspaper overtook the New York Daily News, which has seen its circulation decline during the past decade. The Daily News currently is struggling, in the midst of a strike by nine of its 10 unions, to deliver its normal circulation of nearly 1.1 million.

“Becoming the nation’s No. 1 daily last spring was a historic milestone,” David Laventhol, publisher and chief executive, said in a statement. “These new circulation figures reflect continued growth for The Times and a strengthening of our position in . . . important regional markets.”

The upbeat announcement comes during a time of general uneasiness in the newspaper industry as the slowing economy begins to take its toll in reduced profits, advertising revenues and stock prices for media companies.

The Times’ total circulation figures, which were filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations, were for the six-month period ended Sept. 30. Circulation was listed as 1,196,323 daily and 1,518,000 on Sundays. The newspaper said its increase in Sunday circulation of 105,485 was its largest Sunday gain since 1968. Daily circulation was up 88,700 for the period.

Circulation of the Orange County edition, where The Times faces stiff competition from the Register, was up 11,224, or 6.7%, to 178,241 daily and up 39,979, or 19.2%, to 248,709 on Sunday. During the same period, the Register’s daily circulation within Orange County was up 6,617, or 2.1%, to 327,520 and its Sunday circulation rose 8,141, or 2.2%, to 377,499.

The Register’s overall daily circulation rose 9,738, or 2.8%, to 353,637 and its overall Sunday circulation climbed 10,962, or 2.8%, to 406,696.

The Times’ San Fernando Valley and Ventura County editions grew 11,460, or 5.3%, to 226,887 daily and 11,306, or 4.1%, to 289,546 on Sunday. The Woodland Hills-based Daily News posted a daily circulation gain of 13,853, or 7.5%, to 199,589, and Sunday circulation rose 12,972, or 6.4%, to 215,586.

In San Diego, the Union’s daily circulation fell 1.2% to 265,246 and the Tribune’s daily circulation declined 5.1% to 115,673.

Among other major newspapers, the daily circulation of the New York Times climbed 3.8% to 1,108,447, making it the nation’s second-largest daily. The Chicago Tribune’s daily circulation rose 0.1% to 721,067, and the Wall Street Journal’s circulation was up 1.2% to 1,857,131.