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ABC Announces 92nd Conference and Annual Meeting
Accountability a Focal Point for Print Media Professionals

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (August 30, 2006) – The Audit Bureau of Circulations’ (ABC) members and guests will convene at The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas on November 8 - 10, 2006 to assess today’s print media landscape during ABC’s 92nd Conference and Annual Meeting. This year’s conference theme is “Accountability: The Rules of Engagement,” and will focus on print media buyer and seller concerns related to today’s North American business environment. ABC’s annual conference attracts newspaper, consumer magazine, business and farm publication executives, circulators and their staff, as well as advertisers and advertising agency buyers.

Robert Althaus, vice president, circulation, Gannett Co. Inc., will chair this year’s meeting.

Thursday’s general session will begin with David Verklin, CEO, Carat Americas and Chairman, Carat Asia Pacific, who will moderate a panel devoted to the topic of “Dealing with the Pressures of Accountability.” Prominent members of the advertising community will discuss the importance of accountability in the media planning and buying process. Among them, Rob Britton, managing director of brand development and advertising, American Airlines; Alec Gerster, CEO, Initiative Worldwide; Darynda Jenkins, vice president, group media director, TM Advertising; Craig Sinclair, vice president, advertising, Walgreen Co.; and Judy Vogel, director, communication insights, OMD.

After this, publisher panelists will look at ways to anticipate and respond to requirements and expectations imposed by today’s marketplace, in a discussion on “Managing for Accountability.” Jay Smith, president, Cox Newspapers Inc., will moderate a discussion between panelists Michael Clinton, executive vice president, chief marketing officer and publishing director, Hearst Magazines; Michelle Ebanks, publisher, Essence Communications Inc.; Gary Pruitt, chairman of the board, president and CEO, The McClatchy Company; and Dennis Skulsky, president, CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

Publisher and advertising professionals will round out the morning’s panels with an exchange on “Working Together: The Rules of Engagement.” Brian Segal, president and CEO, Rogers Publishing, Rogers Media, will moderate this panel, which will include Scott Smith, president, Tribune Publishing; Jack Griffin, president, publishing group, Meredith Corporation; John Q. Griffin, president, magazine group, National Geographic Society; Robin Steinberg, senior vice president – director, MediaVest Print Investment, MediaVest USA; and Dave Walker, president, business and strategic development, Newspaper Services of America.

At ABC’s Annual Luncheon, Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times, will deliver the annual keynote address, which will be followed with a report by ABC Chairman Robert Troutbeck, president, Troutbeck-Chernoff.

“Your Accountability: An Overview” is the theme for the afternoon’s series of discussions. Two concurrent specialized sessions for newspapers and magazines will explore the new demands on circulators, what they should do to meet the expectations of accountability, what controls should be in place to govern professional relationships with staff, peers, and vendors and how circulators can be more involved in day-to-day publishing decisions. Moderators for the sessions will be Scott Heekin-Canedy, President and General Manager, The New York Times and John Squires, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Time Inc.

Friday’s closing session will feature the annual business meeting followed by constituency-specific divisional meetings, in which nomination and election of ABC board members will take place.

Complete program details, including a downloadable registration form and description of conference events, are available on ABC’s Web site at www.accessabc.com/annlconf.htm. An “early bird” registration rate is available through Sept. 8, 2006.

Interested ABC members and non-members may register by contacting manager, special projects, at ABC headquarters at (847) 879-8241.

With more than 4,000 members in North America, ABC is a forum of leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. The organization provides credible, verified information essential to the media buying and selling process. ABC maintains the world’s foremost electronic database of audited-circulation information and a growing array of verified readership, subscriber demographics and online activity data. To learn more, visit http://www.accessabc.com.