F 5.1 Geographic Analysis

(a) Paid & Verified circulation (except that distributed through newsdealers if less than 25 percent of total distribution) and/or analyzed non-paid circulation shall be analyzed by states based on an issue within a 12-month period.

A count and analysis shall be made in connection with an issue in each audit period. The mail list and summary of the count is to be preserved for examination by the Bureau's auditor. The figures to be used in connection with the following Publisher's Statements shall be based on the percentages for each state as determined from the issue analyzed, and these percentages shall be projected against the total of the issue to be reported.

Publishers have the option to make a count and analysis of an issue for each Publisher's Statement.

(b) The circulation of magazines distributed through retail outlets shall also be analyzed by states, provided such circulation amounts to 25 percent or more of the total distribution.

(c) Every United States publication with a circulation of 70,000 or more in Canada shall be required to analyze its Canadian circulation by provinces.

(d) Unclassified circulation in the breakdown of distribution by states or provinces shall be limited to 5 percent in Publisher's Statements, but Audit Reports may show the actual conditions as found by the auditor, regardless of the quantity of the unclassified circulation.

(e) When the circulation of the issue selected for analysis is greater or less than the average circulation for the period, the percentage of difference between the circulation of that issue and the average circulation for the period shall be stated in the paragraph relating to that breakdown.

(f) Subscription copies directed to members of the Armed Forces or to affiliated Civilian Personnel where the ultimate destination is known to be outside of the United States and territories may at the option of the publisher be included in the geographical analysis of the countries, or be reported in the geographical analysis in column "Subscriptions" and opposite the classification "Military or Civilian Personnel Overseas."

Subscription copies addressed to those in the Armed Forces or to affiliated Civilian Personnel which are directed to known destinations within the United States and territories shall be included in the geographical analysis in the states or territories to which the copies are addressed.

Similarly, copies shipped by a publisher to the Armed Services or to other distributing organizations purchasing such copies for resale to members of the Armed Forces or affiliated Civilian Personnel who are located outside of the United States and territories where point of sale is known may at the option of the publisher be included in the geographical analysis in the countries in which the sales are made or be included in the geographical breakdown in the column "Single Copy Sales" and opposite the classification "Military or Civilian Personnel Overseas."

Single Copy Sales of the same character within the United States and territories shall be included in the states, territories or provinces in which the sales are made if the facts are determinable or in "Unclassified" if not.

F 5.2 Distribution by ABCD County Size

(a) Magazine members reporting Paid & Verified circulation shall be required to make an analysis of subscriptions and single copy sales; magazine members analyzing non-paid circulation (Paid & Verified and Analyzed Non-Paid or Analyzed Non-Paid) shall be required to analyze non-paid "excluding non-paid bulk" and "non-paid bulk" by ABCD County Size for U.S. magazines in accordance with a format adopted by the Board of Directors for each Publisher's Statement and Audit Report issued by the Bureau except as outlined below. All analyses shall be based on the most recent data prepared by the Bureau.

The ABCD Counties and percent of population may be reported for a magazine distributed regionally only for the states or provinces in which market coverage is claimed. A magazine within the same field distributed nationally may make a similar analysis in addition to the regular breakdown.

The analysis shall include circulation figures based on an issue published during the first or second 6-month Publisher's Statement period immediately following issuance by the Bureau of new data.

ABCD County Size analyses included in Bureau reports after an actual analysis may be based on percentages determined by the last actual analysis made, stating the issue analyzed in establishing the percentages.

Analyses shall be based on an actual count of both mail and single copy circulation except that the single copy sales figures may be determined by applying regional or national returns percentages to gross distribution figures. The sales percentage of newsstand distribution of the analyzed issue must be representative of other issues in the Publisher's Statement period.

Publications may make an analysis for subsequent Publisher's Statement periods for mail circulation and project the percentages established for an actual analysis of single copy sales.

For publications newly admitted to membership the analysis shall be mandatory no later than the second Publisher's Statement issued following release of an Initial Audit.

(b) Exceptions:

(1) Publications with an average Paid & Verified and/or analyzed non-paid circulation for a regular 6-month Publisher's Statement (Analyzed Non-Paid and Paid & Verified Circulation Form) period of less than 500,000 for magazines published in the United States.

(2) Publications that have an average advertising content of not more than 10 percent of the total page content (exclusive of mail order and house advertising) during a regular 6-month Publisher's Statement period. Bureau management shall determine what constitutes mail order advertising under this rule.

If two or more magazines are sold as an advertising unit, all calculations shall be based on the total number of pages, both text and advertising, contained in the publications comprising such unit.

(3) If the status of a publication, that has not been required to provide an analysis because of any of the exemptions above, changes to an extent where the exemption is no longer applicable, the publication shall be required to make an analysis no later than the second Publisher's Statement period following that in which the change occurs.

(4) Special exemptions granted by the Board of Directors.

(c) Publications not required to provide an analysis of circulation by ABCD County Size may do so, if they so desire.

(d) If a publication furnishes a similar analysis to advertisers, either by letter, through advertising matter, or any other means whatsoever, it shall become mandatory for said publication to make an analysis in accordance with the standards as herein set forth for Bureau reports.

The issue analyzed for the purpose of the Publisher's Statement shall be the same as that on which the publisher based his original claims, and shall be made to conform thereto.

All records used in compiling the special analyses must be retained for the purpose of verification by the Bureau.

(e) When the circulation of the issue selected for analysis is greater or less than the average circulation for the period, the percentage of difference between the circulation of that issue and the average circulation for the period shall be stated in the paragraph relating to that analysis.

(f) Every U.S. publication analyzing circulation by ABCD County Size shall analyze only its United States circulation in the paragraph devoted to that subject. An analysis of its Canadian circulation shall be optional with the publisher, unless the Canadian circulation amounts to 70,000 or more, in which case it shall be mandatory.

(g) Copies of publications directed to persons overseas in care of post offices, where destination is unknown, shall not be included.

If copies are addressed merely in the name of a camp, fort or similar military or naval unit and the state or province, publishers shall consult the official United States postal guide (and latest monthly supplements to the postal guide) and determine there from the name of the city or town which serves such camp or fort as a station or branch post office.

The copies thus addressed should then be classified in accordance with the key number as given in the ABCD County Size for the city or town from which mail is served.

(h) The circulation reported as "Unclassified" in Publisher's Statements and Audit Reports shall be limited to not more than 3 percent.

F 5.3 Distribution by Counties

Publishers may, at their option, include as a supplement to magazine Audit Reports and Publisher's Statements an analysis for one issue of the total paid & verified and/or analyzed non-paid circulation (including paid Sponsored Sales and analyzed non-paid bulk) by counties (or the equivalent).

(a) Data shall be compiled by publishers and verified by Bureau auditors and shall be based on counts made annually for mail circulation and once every three years for single-copy circulation. Single copy sales may be determined by applying regional or national return percentages to gross distribution. The sales percentages of the newsstand distribution of the analyzed issue must be representative of other issues in the Publisher's Statement period.

Publications may make an annual analysis of single copy circulation or include in the annual analysis projections based on percentages established from the last actual analysis for a period of three years.

(b) All analyses shall be based on the most recent population analysis data prepared by the Bureau.

(c) Counties (or the equivalent) shall be listed alphabetically by states or provinces and by counties within each state.

(d) The publisher may show only those counties in which Paid & Verified circulation totals 25 copies or more and include a "Balance in State" figure for the remainder.

Publications which have regional rather than national distribution may petition the managing director for approval to compile a county analysis of circulation only for those states for which market coverage is claimed.

F 5.4 Distribution by ZIP Code

Magazines may, at their option, include as a supplement to Audit Reports or Publisher's Statements an analysis of one issue of total Paid & Verified and/or analyzed non-paid circulation by U.S. five-digit ZIP code boundaries.

(a) Data shall be compiled by publishers and verified by Bureau auditors and shall be based on counts made annually for mail circulation and at least once every three years for single copy circulation. Single copy sales may be determined by applying regional or national return percentages to gross distribution. The sales percentages of the newsstand distribution of the issue analyzed must be representative of other issues in the Publisher's Statement period.

(b) Publications may make an annual analysis of single copy circulation or include in the issue analyzed projections based on percentages established from the last actual analysis for a period of three years.

(c) The publisher may show only those U.S. ZIP codes in which circulation totals 25 copies or more and include a "Balance of Circulation" figure for the remainder.

(d) Publications which have regional rather than national distribution may petition the managing director for approval to compile a U.S. ZIP code analysis of circulation only for selected states.

F 5.5 Distribution by Demographics

A demographic edition of a publication shall be considered those copies of a publication which are directed to a group of subscribers with similar demographic characteristics, for whom the publisher has obtained individual demographic information. Copies of a publication which do not meet this definition but are distributed by selected geographical areas shall not be considered a demographic edition.

Publishers may include as a supplement to magazine Audit Reports and Publisher's Statements an analysis for one issue of the total Paid & Verified subscription circulation identifying the subscriber by business and industry and/or by title or job function.

(a) The data shall be compiled by the publisher and verified by Bureau auditors and shall be based on an actual count and analysis of the mail circulation for the issue analyzed.

(b) The classification assigned by the publishers must be based on information obtained from business cards, letterheads, recognized directories, questionnaires or other acceptable evidence.

Where questionnaires are used to obtain specific information concerning a subscriber's job function, the questionnaire shall be written so as to determine the most important or primary interest.

All such data must be preserved for the auditor's examination. The Bureau reserves the right to subject the assigned classifications to verification letter tests if for any reason the evidence produced is not considered to be sufficiently conclusive.

No information may be used for classification purpose which was obtained more than three years prior to the date of issue on which analysis is made.

F 5.6 Reporting of Analyzed Non-Paid Circulation

(a) The initial reporting of analyzed non-paid data shall not be released until verified by audit.

(b) All data and records pertaining to information produced for the analyzed non-paid circulation must be preserved for auditor's examination. If records are considered inadequate to substantiate publisher's claim, the data cannot be released.