ABC lists top b-to-b magazines

August 27, 2012 -- The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) released its list of the top 25 U.S. business publications of the first half of 2012, with ABM members capturing 15 spots. The publications were ranked by total average paid and qualified nonpaid print circulation.

Topping the list is International Fire Fighter (circulation of 285,308), followed by Nursing 2012 (191,937), Advanstar's Motor Age (120,332), Modern Salon (104,135) and PennWell Corporation's Oil & Gas Journal (99,710). Crain Communications secured the most spots with six of its publications -- Automotive News, Investment News, Advertising Age, Crain's New York Business, Crain's Chicago Business and Plastics News -- named on the list. The list also included two publications from PennWell Corporation (Oil & Gas Journal, Fire Engineering), two from The McGraw-Hill Companies (Architectural Record, ENR: Engineering News-Record), two from Advanstar (Motor Age, Automotive Body Repair News), two from Lehbar-Friedman Inc. (Drug Store News, Home Channel News) and one publication from NewBay Media (Tech & Learning).

The full list:

1. International Fire Fighter - International Association of Fire Fighters (285,308)
2. Nursing 2012 - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (191,937)
3. Motor Age - Advanstar (120,332)
4. Modern Salon - Vance Publishing (104,135)
5. Oil & Gas Journal - PennWell Corporation (99,710)
6. American Journal of Nursing - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (98,250)
7. Tech & Learning - NewBay Media (93,611)
8. Architectural Record - The McGraw-Hill Companies (90,978)
9. High Performing Buildings - ASHRAE (68,262)
10. Interior Design - Sandow Media (67,912)
11. Automotive News - Crain Communications (66,712)
12. ENR: Engineering News-Record - The McGraw-Hill Companies (63,410)
13. Investment News - Crain Communications (61,499)
14. Advertising Age - Crain Communications (55,067)
15. ASHRAE Journal - ASHRAE (53,272)
16. Crain's New York Business - Crain Communications (51,385)
17. Fire Engineering - Pennwell Corporation (50,588)
18. Digital Photo Pro - Werner Publishing Corproration (50,162)
19. Crain's Chicago Business - Crain Communications (45,658)
20. Automotive Body Repair News - Advanstar (45,290)
21. Plastics News - Crain Communications (45,206)
22. Stores - NRF (40,520)
23. Drug Store News - Lehbar-Friedman Inc. (36,381)
24. Home Channel News - Lehbar-Friedman Inc. (36, 141)
25. Atlanta Business Chronicle - American City Business Journals (35,222)

ABC's top 25 list is a supplement to its FAS-FAX report, which was released earlier this month. The next FAS-FAX report for business publications is scheduled to release in February.

By Elizabeth A. Reid