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ABC's Monthly Online Member Newsletter |
Ask ABC: What happens at an ABC board of directors meeting? 
ABC’s tripartite board of directors, made up of 17 publishers and 19 advertisers and advertising agencies, meets three times a year to review and discuss rule changes, report formats, products and services, and consider member requests. ABC’s board meetings are held in March, July and November each year. The November board meeting is held in conjunction with ABC’s Annual Conference. Each board meeting lasts approximately three days. ABC staff mails the board an itemized agenda that details topics for discussion, items to review, member requests, report formats and proposed rule changes. Before an ABC board meeting is held, several advisory and liaison committees meet to discuss rule changes, report formats, and products and services. The advisory and liaison committees make recommendations to the board-level committees. Often times a board committee can decide that there is not enough information on a particular subject and they may refer the subject back to the advisory or liaison committees for further review. During the first two days, various board-level committees meet. The board committees discuss the issues at hand, come to a consensus and make a final recommendation to the full board of directors. On the last day of the meeting, the board of directors meets to place a final vote on the issues at hand. Finally, upon returning from the board meeting, ABC staff acts to execute the board’s decisions and communicate the changes to ABC’s members and to the public. ABC board meetings are not open to the public; however, ABC members may submit an appeal on any interpretations, explanations or fixed standards affecting them. Following each ABC board meeting, a Board Actions Summary document is posted on ABC’s Web site for members’ information. The Board Actions Summary reviews the recently voted changes to ABC’s bylaws and rules and presents information on any new board initiatives. It is typically released online a week after the board meeting. Additionally, ABC issues its triennial hard-copy version of NewsBulletin, complete with the Board Actions Summary, to all ABC members no later than eight weeks following the board meeting. Here is a glossary of terms you may see when reading about a board meeting: First passage – The board voted for the first time on a proposed ruling and the item was given initial approval and final passage will be at a subsequent meeting. This window of time allows ABC to give publicity to the impending change and allows member and industry organizations an opportunity for input. For information only – The board considered this item and may continue action at the next board meeting. Even though no ruling occurs with these items, informational items are publicized to members for their benefit. The board may also refer for information only items back to the advisory or liaison committees for further review. Unanimous Consent – The entire board agreed to take action on a specific item which passed by unanimous consent and did not require first and final passage rulings. Final/Second passage – The board granted final approval on a proposed ruling that had already been given first passage. ABC then takes action to execute the item and revises rules to reflect the latest action granted. Related Links: |
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ABC's NewsBulletin online is the monthly electronic newsletter for members of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
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