The National Readership Survey (NRS) has confirmed that NRS PADD (Print And Digital Data) - its new dataset of combined print and website readership figures - will launch on the 10 September.

The new dataset will include the website and print readership figures for all the major UK national newspapers and consumer magazines as well as data from over 400 non-publisher websites.

Jim Marshall, Newsline columnist and chief client officer at Aegis Media, said: "The NRS Print and Digital Data (PADD) is the best news the print industry has seen for, well, arguably this century!

"It shows that newspapers and magazines aren't in terminal decline; it shows that print has a genuine value in the digital media environment; and it shows that, through the combination of off and online readership, print media has a genuine and potentially valuable future (contrary to the view of some commentators). I think we already knew this, but NRS PADD now 'officially' confirms it.

"The next challenge is for the media to leverage and monetise their online audiences effectively - tough, but not insurmountable."

In addition to the headline readership figures, users will also be able to review:

• The unique audience for print and online as well as the unduplicated combined net audience
• The comparison of in-depth print and online age and demographic profile data for the first time
• An integrated model of reach and frequency for print and online
• Exclusive insight about what non-publisher websites readers of newspapers and magazines visit online, and vice versa

In addition to monthly reach, NRS PADD will show weekly and daily reach for websites. It will also show pageviews and dwell time, the latter providing a useful adjunct to the NRS Time Spent Reading data for print.

NRS used a data fusion approach, fusing NRS data with passive online research, to ensure that the Survey's readership estimates, which will continue to be collected by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the NRS, were not disrupted. The online data will be provided by UKOM/Nielsen, while RSMB will be responsible for the fusion of the two data sources.

The data published on 10 September will show NRS readership data for the period April 2011 to March 2012 combined with the UKOM data for the period April 2012.

A further two reports will be issued in 2012, in late October (showing NRS period July 2011 to June 2012, UKOM/Nielsen period June 2012) and December (showing NRS period October 2011 to September 2012, UKOM/Nielsen period September 2012).

Mike Ironside, chief executive at NRS, said: "We are delighted to be announcing the launch of NRS PADD. This is a huge development not only for NRS but for the industry and being able to provide the industry with combined audience data for print and online for the first time will shape the future of media measurement."

Rufus Olins, CEO, Newsworks, added: "We welcome the launch of NRS PADD as a huge step forward for the newsbrand industry. Readership of newspaper content on electronic devices is growing faster than print readership is declining and so NRS PADD - which combines print and online readership figures - will help reflect this positive story. We look forward to future developments, which will take into account not just online readership on desktops and laptops, but also on mobile and tablets."