Readership of the Santa Maria Times is up for the last two quarters, showing gains as much as more than 6 percent over the same period last year, according to circulation figures released this week.

Newspaper sales increased overall as well as for home delivery, the figures show, and circulation director Rich Macke attributed the increases to an improved product and improved customer service.

&#8220We/re proving to customers we can give them the service and content they want and need,C Macke said. &#8220We/re getting back a lot of readers we lost in the past and servicing them to the best of our abilities.

&#8220The editorial content is improving and it makes people want to read the newspaper on a regular basis and make the Santa Maria Times their newspaper of record.

&#8220Not many newspapers around the United States are pulling off these kinds of increases,C Macke added. &#8220It/s really good to see people in the community are behind the newspaper.C

In fact, many daily newspapers around the nation are reporting steady declines in circulation, forcing some of the biggest organizations to lay off employees.

At the Santa Maria Times, average paid circulation for the Sunday edition 7 typically the issue with the highest readership at any daily newspaper 7 was up 6.39 percent for October 2006 through March 2007 compared to the same period in 2005-06.

An average of 20,026 copies of the Sunday Santa Maria Times were sold through racks and home delivery during the most recent six-month period compared to 18,823 the same period in 2005-06.

Average Saturday issue sales were up 5.65 percent, from 16,845 for the two quarters in 2005-06 to 17,797 in 2006-07.

Increases in home delivery alone were 5.02 percent for Sunday, from an average of 14,567 to 15,298; 5.34 percent for Monday through Friday combined, from 14,912 to 15,709; and 3.96 percent for Saturday, from 14,513 to 15,087.

&#8220Our circulation gains are a tribute to my staff who contribute to the news gathering process, sell the advertising, print and deliver the Santa Maria Times so that accurate news can be delivered to our readers each day, on time,C said publisher Cynthia Schur.

April 29, 2007