(New York, May 9, 2001) – Total magazine advertising revenue for the month of April closed at $1,598,757,565, a 1.2% decrease from last year, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB).  Advertising pages for April were 23,330, down 9.5% from last year.  Year-to-date, advertising revenue rose slightly with a 0.3% increase to $5,175,346,607, and ad pages were 79,109, down 7.5% over last year.  April 2001 vs. 2000 Six of the major advertising categories showed positive dollar growth this April, most notably in Toiletries & Cosmetics; Apparel & Accessories; Food & Food Products; Drugs & Remedies; Transportation, Hotels & Resorts; and Direct Response Companies.  Losses were noted for Technology; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Retail; Media & Advertising; Automotive; and Home Furnishings & Supplies.  (Twelve categories are the most significant contributors to PIB revenue, comprising more than 85% of total advertising spending.) January – April 2001 vs. 2000 Gains were noted in 7 out of 12 categories for the year-to-date comparison, most notably in Apparel & Accessories; Food & Food Products; Toiletries & Cosmetics; Drugs & Remedies; Transportation, Hotels & Resorts; Home Furnishings & Supplies; and Direct Response Companies.  Losses were noted for Retail; Media & Advertising; Automotive; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; and Technology. “The magazine industry continues to hold its own this year relative to ad revenues,” said Ellen Oppenheim, Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, Magazine Publishers of America. “However, we are seeing more categories, especially economically sensitive ones like Home Furnishings & Supplies and Financial, Insurance & Real Estate, beginning to experience declines.” Enhanced and expanded PIB information is now available on www.magazine.org/PIB.