Readership figures: Bay of Plenty Times continues to attract more readers

Latest readership figures have been announced. Photo / File

More people are reading the Bay of Plenty Times.

Latest readership figures for April 2020 - March 2021, released by Neilsen, show the Bay of Plenty Times now has an average daily readership for all readers aged 15+ of 45,000.

This is 14,000 more than a year ago and up 5000 on the previous readership survey period.

The newspaper's sister title, the Rotorua Daily Post, now has 26,000 average daily readers - 16,000 more than a year ago, and up 4000 readers from the last survey period.

Bay of Plenty Times was a Newspaper of the Year finalist at this year's prestigious Voyager Media Awards, while the Daily Post was crowned the winner.

NZME Bay of Plenty regional editor Scott Inglis said the latest figures were as "phenomenal" and that he was proud of the newsroom team.

"The journalists who work on the Bay of Plenty Times and Daily Post are producing relevant, interesting, local journalism - and holding the powerful to account.

"These figures show people are engaging with that journalism and that it is important."

Bay of Plenty general manager Greg Murphy said the readership increases demonstrated the continued trend for more Western Bay of Plenty and Rotorua residents to reconnect with their trusted local newspaper as a source of information and entertainment.

"The continued strong growth in readership of the Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times reinforces our commitment to provide the best quality local news, content and journalism and provides Tauranga and Rotorua businesses with an unparalleled, highly connected and engaged audience to advertise to."

NZME's flagship national title, the New Zealand Herald, also recorded a readership increase with a new high record in this quarter, the highest readership in nearly 20 years. Its readership increased 7 per cent from 612,000 to 654,000, compared to Q4 2020.

The Herald on Sunday now has a readership of 403,000 - up 11 per cent from 362,000.

NZME's Travel magazine, inserted into the Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post and The New Zealand Herald on Tuesdays, now has a readership of 437,000 - up 83,000 year on year and up 8000 on the previous survey period.