From today’s Guardian…

Newspapers and magazines have given away as many free DVDs as have been sold in shops so far this year, according to researchers.More than 130m free DVDs, or an average of five per household, were handed out last year and 54m free DVDs have been given away in the first quarter of this year alone, data from Screen Digest shows.Analysts said the flood of free films boded ill for retailers such as HMV, which already faced tough competition from supermarkets and online stores. DVD sales have fallen as newspapers and magazines have given away films in an effort to increase circulation. The average household bought 11.4 DVDs last year, down from 12.5 in 2004…