Ad linage up at WSJ and Barron's, down for international

Dow Jones Inc. reported Wednesday afternoon that advertising linage at its flagship Wall Street Journal newspaper was up in April, and its Barron’s publication also saw an increase in advertising. However, advertising was down in the international version of the WSJ.

Advertising revenue at The Wall Street Journal, including Weekend Edition, increased 8.3 percent in April on a 3.8 percent increase in advertising volume. Linage increases in financial, general and classified advertising were partially offset by a decrease in technology advertising.

In the financial advertising category at the Journal, April linage increased 17.2 percent due to increases in wholesale, retail, insurance and tombstone advertising. The Journal’s general advertising category linage increased 16.2 percent due to increases in corporate, travel, healthcare and luxury goods advertising, partially offset by declines in media, auto and professional services advertising. Linage in the Journal’s classified advertising category increased 2.2 percent as real estate classified advertising was virtually flat to last year with one less Friday in April 2006.

The Journal’s technology advertising linage declined 29.7 percent due to weak technology professional services, software and personal computer advertising, partially offset by a gain in communications advertising.

At Barron’s, total advertising revenue increased 6.9 percent on a 1.7 percent increase in advertising pages primarily due to a gains in general advertising, partially offset by declines in auto and financial advertising.

International advertising revenue declined 12.1 percent in April primarily due to advertising linage declines at the Asian and European editions of The Wall Street Journal.

Read more here.