New York, NY (October 11, 2004) Total magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue for the month of September 2004 closed at $2,286,636,158, an increase of +17.1% compared to September 2003, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB). Ad pages totaled 25,165.36, up +8.5% from last year. Year-to-date, rate-card-reported revenue closed at $14,908,324,440, an increase of +9.7%, with ad pages totaling 164,277.46, registering a +2.2% gain. September 2004 vs. 2003 Nine of the 12 major advertising categories recorded both PIB revenue and page increases in September, with five categories posting double-digit gains: Retail; Home Furnishings & Supplies; Food & Food Products; Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; and Public Transportation, Hotels and Resorts. Financial, Insurance & Real Estate has recorded its seventh consecutive month of increases in September. (Twelve categories are the most significant contributors to PIB revenue, comprising approximately 85% of total advertising spending.) January – September 2004 vs. 2003 Year-to-date, seven of the 12 major advertising categories saw an increase in PIB revenue and pages over the same nine-month period in 2003. The strongest performers have been Financial, Insurance & Real Estate; Media & Advertising; Public Transportation, Hotels & Resorts; and Retail. “Magazine advertising hit a high for the year in September, illustrating that advertisers continue to recognize magazines as a unique medium that engages consumers in an age of interruption,” stated Ellen Oppenheim, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Magazine Publishers of America. “The overall push for fall season fashion positioned Retail, Apparel & Accessories and Toiletries & Cosmetics as the leading categories last month. In terms of sectors that posted significant increases, Retail was supported by ads for couture shops and department stores, while Home Furnishings & Supplies improved with spending by electronics and cleaning supply manufacturers.”