ABC Mag Rules Could Trickle Down to Newspapers

Though magazines were the main focus during the Audit Bureau of Circulations' annual meeting in Las Vegas last week some of the rule changes and new reporting formats could eventually apply to newspapers.

For instance, advertisers have been demanding more transparency from magazines. At this meeting, the board voted to tighten the rules regarding magazine sponsored sales. Starting in January, new programs must inform the recipient who is sponsoring the subscription, invoices have to state purchase quantities and payment by publication, and each sponsor has to outline how the purchase promotes its business.

"All of us on the ABC board are united in our push for circ transparency and clarity, while recognizing our responsibilities to all ABC constituents," said David Leckey, executive vice president of consumer marketing at American Media Inc. and chair of the ABC magazine committee, in a statement.

The board gave the thumbs up to extend the Consolidated Media Report to consumer magazines. The report aims to give advertisers a more complete picture of readership taking into account print circulation, online traffic, and other auditable media in one figure. In July, ABC launched the program for business publications.

Many newspaper industry observers, including E&P, took issue with the report's top line number or "total audience reach" which does not eliminate duplication. A reader of the print product and the Web site would be counted twice, inflating the number. ABC does note at the bottom of the report that "there was no attempt to eliminate any duplication."

During this meeting, the board agreed to change the "total audience reach" column to read "total contacts" hoping to clarify that duplication exists.

ABC also called for more magazine participation regarding rapid report -- a voluntary program that reports top line circulation on an issue-by-issue basis within weeks of the distribution date. The board passed a formal resolution urging adoption.

Additionally, ABC named Donald Miceli, vice president of global media resources at Kraft Foods, chairman of the board for a one-year term.

Three new directors were elected to the board: Bruce Claassen, CEO of Genesis Media; Jack Griffin, publishing group president at Meredith Corp.; and Robin Steinberg, senior vice president at Media Vest USA.