By: Mark Fitzgerald Advertising spending in the gay press -- which grew 284% between 1996 and 2001 -- fell off 1.7% last year, with ad revenue at local gay newspapers declining 4.6%, according to the 2002 Gay Press Report released Sept. 16 by advertising agency Prime Access Inc. and gay media representative Rivendell Marketing Co. The report noted that ad spending in all consumer print media declined 6.2% during the same period.
While the number of audited local gay newspapers increased 7.5% to 50, last year's total circulation of 1.14 million represented a 4% decline from the year before, the report said.
The report stated gay media's broadening advertising mix reflects less fear of a backlash by mainstream advertisers, and the decline in death and infection rates from HIV/AIDS. The amount of space devoted to ads created specifically for the gay market increased 34% last year.
Other big increases were noted in nonmedical services (up 67%), financial services (up 32%) and medical/ health advertising (up 23%). Categories on the wane were professional services (down 80%), classifieds (down 32%), and gay events (down 9%). Comparing the change in ad space between 1997 and 2001, huge gains were seen in recruiting/jobs (up 533%), hotels/resorts (up 275%), and real estate (up 174%) categories, while significant declines occurred in HIV-related medical ads (down 70%), phone sex and personals (down 58%), and bars and clubs (down 51%).
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