WORLD PRESS TRENDS - World Association of Newspapers

SRI LANKA
Top dailies (2002)
Circulation Readership* Cover Price Full page rate (Rupees)
Title Publisher (000) (000) Rs US$ Format Mono Colour
Lankadeepa Wijeya Publications 131 726 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 108,000 155,000
Divaina Upali Group 125 698 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 80,000 128,000
Daily News Associated Newspapers 68 374 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 93,500 150,200
Dinamina Associated Newspapers 50 275 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 60,500 103,700
Island Upali Group 41 225 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 65,000 104,000
Lakbima Sumathi Newspapers 22 132 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 55,000 82,500
Virakesari Associated Newspapers 20 110 10.00 0.11 Broadsheet 40,000 66,500
Daily Mirror Wijeya Publications 15 82 15.00 0.17 Broadsheet 72,000 125,000
Thinakaran Associated Newspapers 12 66 8.00 0.09 Broadsheet 38,500 62,800
Dinakural - 8 50 8.00 0.09 Broadsheet - -
*readership figures are estimates
Top advertising categories (2002)
Advertising sector
Banking & finance
Consumer goods
Employment
IT
Auto
Education
Entertainment
Travel & leisure
Alcohol
Top publishing companies (2002)
Company
Associated Newspapers
Wijeya Publications
Upali Newspapers
Leader Publications
Sumathi Newspapers
Express Newspapers
Ravaya Publications
Distribution and newsprint costs
2000 2001 2002
Distribution as % of average cover price 5 12 -
Newsprint costs (average per ton)
Rupees - 46,466 34,000
Cover prices
Rs
Single copy 6-25
Employment
2000 2001 2002
Total no. of journalists 910 1,020 1,100
Total no. of employees 3,630 3,940 3,900
Newspaper colour capability & formats
Number of: 2000 2001 2002
4-colour newspapers 18 22 22
Broadsheets 23 27 27
Tabloids 4 3 3
Internet publishing (No. of online editions)
1997 1998 1999 2000
Dailies 4 6 - 7
Non-dailies 5 5 - 8
ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE & ECONOMIC DATA
Main economic indicators 1995-2001
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
1 US$= 89.38 Rupees at 2001 rate
Gross Domestic Product (Rupees billion)
at current prices 668 768 890 1,018 1,106 1,258 1,400
% change 15.3 15.0 15.9 14.3 8.6 13.7 11.3
at 2001 prices 1,178 1,169 1,236 1,293 1,342 1,437 1,400
% change 7.1 -0.8 5.7 4.6 3.8 7.1 -2.6
Gross Domestic Product per capita (Rupees 000)
at current prices 36.8 41.9 48.0 54.2 58.1 65.0 73.3
at 2001 prices 64.9 63.8 66.6 68.9 70.5 74.2 73.3
Population
Millions 18.1 18.3 18.6 18.8 19.0 19.4 19.1
Consumer Price Index
2001=100 56.7 65.7 72.0 78.7 82.4 87.5 100.0
% change 7.7 15.9 9.6 9.3 4.7 6.2 14.2
Source: IFS, ZenithOptimedia
Share of adspend (%)
2000 2001 2002 *
Newspapers & magazines 27.4 27.0 25
Television 38.2 38.6 40
Radio 22.3 22.0 25
Others ** 12.1 12.4 10
* Approximations only
* * includes posters, billboards, transport, blimps, etc.
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS - WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2003 257