Newsweek sales surge leaves competitors in its wake

Newsweek Polska recorded an outstanding increase in sales, leaving behind its main competitors Polityka and Wprost. According to Rzeczpospolita, in the last quarter of 2001 Newsweek had an average print run of 492,000, while figures for Polityka and Wprost were respectively 370,000 and 345,000. This lead is likely to increase thanks to the recently published "Forty percent poison" story, which resulted in a major row with the Bols Group. Newsweek may also benefit from financial and staff problems plaguing Wprost which competes for the same target group of readers. The weekly Press quotes anonymous insiders who say that AWR, the publisher of Wprost, is planning large cutbacks and lays-offs, while its owner and president Marek Kr0l, is considering selling his stake in the company. These rumors have been denied by company representatives. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) M.K.