When national daily newspaper circulation figures were made public recently, publishers nationwide lamented yet another plunge in readership, this time to the tune of a 3.4 percent decrease in Sunday circulation. According to those circulation figures, the Mobile daily outstripped this trend, as the Press-Register saw its average Sunday circulation tumble 5 percent in the past six months, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which compiles such figures for the newspaper industry. Those figures show the Press-Register’s average Sunday circulation has fallen from 117,279 when the figures last came out in March, to 111,368 in the most recent report released just last week. That’s a 5 percent decrease in six months. The Press-Register did have reason to smile concerning its Monday-Friday averages, as those increased from 94,680 in March to 95,699 in October. The Press-Register even got a little love in Editor & Publisher, which pointed out the P-R’s weekday gains in an article about midsize papers making gains. However, E&P failed to mention the P-R’s Sunday fall. The new circulation numbers appear not to have made it to the P-R’s advertising department yet, as a caller to the paper found they are still touting a Sunday circulation of 122,000 to potential buyers. Using the industry standard of 2.3 readers per newspaper, the P-R claims more than 275,000 Sunday readers. However, using that same standard, at 111,368, the Sunday readership should be closer to 256,000. Other area newspapers experienced some downturn in their Sunday readership according to the ABC, although not as large as the Press-Register. The Birmingham News, for example saw a 2 percent downturn from 180,451 to 176,390 in the past six months. The Pensacola News-Journal also had a 2 percent decrease, going from 75,526 to 74,226. The Press-Register’s sister newspaper in Pascagoula appears to have fallen on very hard times. When this reporter worked there in the 1990s, it routinely listed Sunday circulation around 24,000. The paper still claims 20,408 as its circulation on the Mississippi Press Association Web site, but ABC’s latest numbers put it at 16,088, 21 percent below the numbers touted on the Press Association site. Of course, the Pascagoula area was hard-hit by Hurricane Katrina. As it has been widely reported, Mobile is home to thousands of new Katrina evacuees, but that apparently hasn’t translated into new readers for the daily newspaper. Nationwide, the newspaper laments the competition from cable TV and the Internet as the reason for the downturn. Some of us also suspect lack of competition and uninspired editorial content could also be a factor.

WABB stays local The passing of local radio legend Bernie Dittman Oct. 27 may have brought the end of an era in Mobile broadcasting, but according to his daughter, it is not going to spell the end of WABB as one of the market’s few locally owned stations. Bernie Dittman cast a long shadow on Mobile’s radio industry, running WABB for years as an independent while stations all around him were snapped up by Clear Channel, Cumulus and other conglomerates. Bernie Dittman’s independence and ability to weather the corporate buyout storm – as well as his knowledge of the radio business – made him a broadcast legend. In the wake of his passing, rumors began circulating that WABB would go corporate, but those rumors appear unfounded. "The station will continue as it is, and I will be assuming my father’s position as general manager," said Betsy Dittman. "It’s a wonderful opportunity to continue the tradition my father established." Dittman said a plan had been in place for some time for her to run the station after her father retired or could no longer run it. His sudden passing, though, sped up the process. Dittman said she has been traveling from Chicago on a regular basis for several years to better acquaint herself with WABB’s operations. "There’s been a succession plan in place for many years," she said. "My father had so many opportunities to sell the station over the years, and he didn’t do it. We’ve all been in agreement for a long time that we didn’t want to sell it." Dittman says the WABB staff has "really risen to the occasion" in the wake of her father’s death. She said he would have been the first one to encourage them to put the sadness behind them. "He’s the kind of guy who would say, ‘OK, knock it off and get back to work.’ It’s like a family here," Dittman said.

Hawes back in action Former WALA sports anchor and WNSP radio host Don Hawes will be back on the air in the Port City, as he will co-host an Iron Bowl special for WKRG TV-5 with sports anchor Randy Patrick. Hawes was severely injured after having his leg run over by a network truck last year while covering the Alabama-Tennessee football game in Tuscaloosa Oct. 22. Now he and Patrick will host a live Iron Bowl special from Tuscaloosa that will air Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Guests will include Bobby Humphrey, Eli Gold, Barry Krauss, Tom Roberts and several writers from the Press-Register. The game will air on CBS right after the show.

Back in action 2 Speaking of injured former Mobile media folks, Rick Miller, the former afternoon WKSJ who was in a terrible motorcycle accident in Kansas City, is reported to have made a complete recovery. He has gone to work with a Clear Channel country station in Detroit.

Press Club Christmas The Mobile Press Club will forego its November meeting and instead focus on a Christmas party in early December. Press Club president Katie Hammond sent word this year’s shindig will take place high atop the Lafayette Plaza Hotel in the Skyview Lounge Dec. 7 from 5-9 p.m.