FOCUS: REGIONAL MAGAZINES: Regional mags on rebound after adex drop in '98

<p>Regional publications' advertising revenue rebounded just over </p><p>three per cent year-on-year in 1999, following the 12 per cent plunge in </p><p>1998, according to a CMR International report. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Although modest, the rise is seen as the clearest sign yet that </p><p>Asia-Pacific's fortunes have turned around for the better following the </p><p>economic turmoil of the late 1990s. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Total advertising revenue for 1999 climbed to US$298 million, </p><p>compared with US$289 million the year before. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Time Asia topped the CMR rankings of all regional publications with a </p><p>revenue of US$49 million, which was just marginally up on 1998, </p><p>while its market share stood at 16.59 per cent. The Asian Wall Street </p><p>Journal ranked second with a revenue of US$46 million, </p><p>representing a jump of almost 18 per cent from 1998. Newsweek held onto </p><p>third spot despite its revenue declining about 11 per cent to US$32 million. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Nine of 23 publications saw drops in advertising revenue, which compares </p><p>favourably with 1998 when all regional magazines and newspapers - with </p><p>the exception of Business Week - experienced declines. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>