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Free Online Tutorials and Resources on June 2006 Magazine Reporting
For almost a year, ABC has been publicizing board actions and subsequent changes to the ABC consumer magazine reporting formats for the Publisher’s Statement and FAS-FAX as well as the new Rule 15.1 Verified Circulation. As the June filing deadlines approach, ABC continues to provide members with enhanced online resources on verified circulation, the new reporting formats and other related guidelines.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights of new online resources, openly available to all ABC members on the Web site’s consumer magazine guidelines area.
Recognize and Understand Your Formats
Consumer magazine publishers now have the option to report their circulation on one of these three report format types.
Free Online Tutorials
For a more comprehensive review of these options, ABC offers free online tutorials. The tutorials are designed to walk you through the new format paragraph-by-paragraph. You can either view a Flash presentation online (with audio and PowerPoint slides) or print the presentation slides with speaker notes:
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Tell Us What You Think
If you viewed any one of ABC’s online Flash presentations, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. Please take a very brief moment to complete a three-question, multiple-choice, online evaluation.
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Access these tutorials and other helpful resources available on ABC’s Web site: http://www.accessabc.com/resources/c_reportingchanges.htm
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Remember:
Verified Circulation ¹ Disqualified Circulation
Verified circulation is not a default option for disqualified circulation discovered during the audit process. It is highly recommended that programs intended for verified circulation classification be reviewed with ABC before they are executed. ABC audit management staff is available to help members review this and other questions. To view a list of your audit management contacts, visit ABC’s Web site.
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Subscription Copies: Are They “Verified?”
Simply put, verified circulation is defined as subscription copies that are designated by publishers for readership in public places or intended for individual use by recipients who are likely to have a strong affinity for the content of the magazine.
There are two subcategories of verified circulation:
- Public Place
- Individual Use
If verified circulation is reported in paragraph 1, it is required to be broken out in paragraph 6A and/or 6B.
Updates for Paragraphs 6A and 6B
Standardized Listing Available for Paragraph 6A Verified Public Place
Paragraph 6A reports the average circulation served in the statement period to a standardized listing of public place locations. A publisher is required to report in Paragraph 6A the top five locations based on average circulation served and an “other” category as appropriate.
The standardized locations listing for verified public place is maintained on ABC’s Web site in the consumer magazine “Bylaws and Rules” subsection.
The standardized list as of April 20, 2006 is as follows:
- Doctor/health care providers
- Personal care salons
- Fitness/recreational facilities
- Education/learning facilities
- Business/professional services
- Automotive outlets
- Transportation outlets
- Government/civil services
- Hotels/lodges
- Specialty locations/retail
- In-room hotel/lodging
- Other
*Please note: Updates to the standardized listing for publishers to make reporting of Paragraph 6A Verified Public Place will be reflected within the materials as posted on www.accessabc.com for membership use.
Paragraph 6A reports verified public place locations according to SIC codes and groups them into these general categories. If a publisher would like to report verified public place in more details, a detailed SIC code mapping is available on ABC’s Web site: http://www.accessabc.com/pdfs/sictranslation.pdf
Standardized Listing Available for 6B Verified Individual Use
Paragraph 6B reports the average circulation served in the statement period to individual recipients from eligible verified sources.
In this paragraph, a publisher is required to report the top five sources of verified individual use recipients based on average circulation served and an aggregate “other” category as appropriate.
The standardized listing for verified individual use is maintained on ABC’s Web site in the consumer magazine “Bylaws and Rules” subsection.
The standardized list as of March 28, 2006 is as follows:
Standardized listing for reporting of Paragraph 6B Verified Individual Use
- Charitable donors
- Club members
- Contest entrants
- Educators
- Event participants
- Executives
- Individually requested
- License holders
- Merchandise buyers
- Organization members
- Professionals
- Publication subscribers
- Public database members
- Season pass holders
- Service buyers
- Show attendees
- Survey respondents
- Ticket buyers
- Warrantee registrants
- Other
2006 Reporting of Verified Circulation
At the March 2006 meeting, the ABC board recognized that reporting a six-month average in paragraphs 6A and 6B for the June 2006 and Dec. 2006 audit period would represent a transition period for members to implement the necessary changes to their record-keeping systems. To accommodate this transition, the board voted to allow publishers to report paragraph 6A and 6B data using a single representative issue for 2006 reporting periods. In 2007, all publishers will report six-month averages.
The Four Kinds of Analyzed Non-Paid Circulation
At the March 2006 meeting, the board of directors adopted rules redefining analyzed non-paid circulation. The new definition was effective Jan.1, 2006 and analyzed non-paid circulation will be disclosed in ABC Publisher’s Statements and Audit Reports in all appropriate paragraphs reflecting claims of paid and verified subscription data, beginning with the six-month period ending June 30, 2006.
Analyzed non-paid circulation describes single issues or subscriptions designated by publishers, encompassing the following subcategories:
- List Source
These are subscriptions served to individual addresses wherein names were obtained from a list, directory or similar resource.
- Market Coverage
These are single issues or subscriptions distributed to individual addresses, but for whom the publication’s personnel has limited or no information about the recipient.
- Delivered with Host Product
These are single issues or subscriptions distributed as an insert into another publication.
- Non-Paid Bulk
These are single issues or subscriptions distributed in mass quantities to designated locations for pickup by unknown recipients.
ABC maintains an updated guidelines section within the consumer magazine “Bylaws and Rules” area of the Web site. You can see the full description and criteria for each of these analyzed non-paid subcategories on ABC’s Web site.
Related Links
Magazine Reporting Formats Effective for the June 2006 Period (Includes free tutorials)
Verified Circulation Defined
June 2006 Report Prototypes
Rule F 15.1 Verified Circulation
Rule F 13.5 Analyzed Non-Paid Bulk Defined
Verified Circulation Reporting Paragraphs 6A and 6B
SIC Codes Available for 6A Reporting
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