ABC's Monthly Online Member Newsletter

Ask ABC: Board Decisions and Controlling Audit Costs

Ask ABC will be a regular segment in the monthly e-mail version of NewsBulletin. Here, ABC will answer questions regarding rule changes, audit compliance, new products, ABC’s operations and anything in between. Make Ask ABC a must read each month.

How does the ABC board decide on rule changes and member exception requests?

ABC is a member-driven organization comprised of publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. ABC’s board of directors meets three times a year to review existing rules, establish new rules and consider member requests for exceptions to rules. Its governance consists of:

• A tripartite board of directors made up of 17 publishers and 19 advertisers/agency directors who vote on ABC rule, policy and operational changes.
• Several advisory committees and constituent subcommittees offer recommendations to the board of directors.

For more information, please review the Bylaws and Rules Basics primer and an Introduction to ABC fact sheet, among others, available online.

How can I control my audit costs?

There are several factors that impact the length and cost of an ABC audit, many of which can be influenced by good planning. The more documentation prepared in advance of the auditor’s arrival, the more efficiently the audit is likely to be completed. For example, all the worksheets, ledgers, and documents used to compile the Publisher’s Statements for the audit period should be readily available and accessible for the auditor. ABC’s Web site contains Audit Preparation Checklists for newspapers and consumer magazines. These items will be helpful to any organization preparing for an ABC audit.

Do you have a question you would like to see featured in an upcoming Ask ABC segment? E-mail your questions to

Visit ABC Main Site

Current Issue of NewsBulletin

Read Archived Articles

Read Print Issues

Bylaws & Rules

Annual Conference

Events Calendar

Free Reports

Listing of New ABC Members

Reports and Data Access

e-Mail Updates
Keep on top of all the happenings at ABC by signing up for these FREE e-mail alerts.