Newspapers attract RM1.7bil in advertising expenditure in Jan-May

KUALA LUMPUR: Newspapers remain the market leader in advertising expenditure (ADEX), attracting RM1.7 billion of total ad spend in the first five months of this year, said the Malaysian Newspaper Publishers Association (MNPA).

This was a growth of 14.3 per cent from the RM1.5 billion in the previous equivalent period.

In a statement today, the MNPA said the ADEX recorded a growth of 16.2 per cent to RM4.09 billion in the five-month period ended May this year versus a year earlier, and is likely to continue the growth momentum.

MNPA chairman Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali said the production cost of newspapers this year will continue to increase due to higher transportation rates, electricity tariff and labour costs.

"The anti-dumping duties by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, ranging from 5.59 per cent to 43.24 per cent on imports of newsprint from Canada, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines and the United States, will also aggravate the situation further.

"The MNPA will continue enhancing the productive relationship with our vendors and proactively connect with other relevant parties, including the government, to allow publishers to work on everything from protecting the revenue stream to reducing publishing cost," he added.

The MNPA is an association governed by publishers in Malaysia.

It serves to promote, protect and look after the interest and welfare of the industry and its members. - BERNAMA