Policy highlights

If you're planning to include event sales activity in future Publisher's Statement paid circulation claims, ABC strongly suggests that you review all policy guidelines in detail. Want a quick overview? Here's a short summary:

• For audit preparation purposes, ABC staff requires 60 days' advance notification of planned event sales.
• To ensure that standards are observed, all event sales are subject to unannounced audit.
• Event admission must be available without newspaper purchase.
• Newspapers may only be offered in conjunction with on-site ticket sales. Advance ticket sales are ineligible.
• Event sales bundled with parking fees are ineligible, unless the parking fee is the only point at which money is exchanged.
• All event signs must specify admission price and newspaper price separately. Ticket takers don't need to explain admission standards verbally, so long as all signs strictly adhere to ABC guidelines.
• Newspapers must be distributed upon entrance to the event. Newspaper-only "check rooms" are prohibited.

What qualifies as an Event Sale?

Event Sale: A transaction in which newspapers are sold in conjunction with admission fees to any activity of a social or communal nature.

To qualify, these activities must have a specific duration less than 24 hours in length. Attendees must also be required to pass through limited-access entrances. For events lasting longer than 24 hours — county fairs, for instance — each day's admission constitutes a separate event for audit purposes.

Newspapers included with goods or services do not qualify as event sales and are subject to separate ABC rules and policies.

Are parking fees considered admission fees?

Under the updated policy, sales bundled with parking fees do not qualify unless the parking fee is the only admission price to the event. Certain flea markets, for example, charge a parking fee but no general admission fee. In this case, the parking fee is considered the qualification point for event sales transactions.

As a publisher, how do I pre-qualify an event?

You need to contact ABC 60 days prior to the commencement of any event, specifying these details:

• Date and hours of event(s)
• Admission price
• Newspaper selling price
• Examples of notification signs
• General event "floor plan," designating all admission selling points, event entry points and newspaper distribution points. These distribution points must be located within a reasonable proximity to the ticket selling location.
• Event management contacts who can provide access to event records if necessary

Don't forget, failure to provide advance notification will cause event sales to be excluded from your paid circulation!

What about last-minute or repetitive events?

For events organized on a "last-minute" basis — such as sporting playoff series, where the location is determined just before the series begins — ABC staff will consider your request for an exception to the 60-day notification period.

Repetitive events, such as weekly flea markets, only require one pre-qualification for all events occurring within a Publisher's Statement filing period. You'll still need to identify each week individually when providing advance notification. All other events must be individually pre-qualified.

What are ABC's qualification standards?

To qualify as paid circulation, all event sales must strictly observe the following standards:

1. All newspaper transactions must occur at the event. No advance sales are permitted.
2. Delivery of the newspaper must occur upon entrance to the event.
3. Newspaper "check rooms" are prohibited.
4. If newspapers become unavailable at any point during the event, admission must automatically revert to the event-only admission price.
5. Newspapers must not differ in content from those sold in the same advertising sales zone as the event. Modified copies are prohibited.
6. All ABC rules governing paid circulation qualification must be observed.
7. All event signs must strictly adhere to ABC guidelines (see What are the signage requirements? below).

What are the signage requirements?

ABC recognizes that the ticket taker can't always verbally communicate standards to every attendee. Therefore, all venue signs must clearly advise attendees of their admission options per the specifications noted below.

Sign specifications

• Signs must be posted at each ticket booth or selling location.
Signs must be placed at eye level, in a position directly visible to the purchaser.
• Signs must be at least 11" x 17" (28 cm x 43 cm) in size.
• Type used to convey purchasing options and pricing must be at least 1" (2.5 cm) in height.
• The sign must indicate that the "total" admission price includes the cost of the newspaper. All admission-related signs in the immediate vicinity of the admission location must reflect the following sample format:

What does the audit process involve?

All events will be subject to unannounced audit, intended to verify the following elements:

What factors can disqualify an event?

What happens once an event is disqualified?

Once any event is disqualified — for any reason — resulting event sales won't qualify as paid circulation on corresponding Publisher's Statement claims (although they can be reported as "Other Newspaper Sales" and claimed as part of Total Distribution). Also, certain future events will automatically be audited. If two successive events are disqualified, you won't be allowed to claim event sales for the reporting period during which the second disqualified event occurred.

Who can I contact with additional questions?