Virtual Press RoomNews Releases
ABC Board Approves Consolidated Media Report for Consumer Magazines, Improves Reporting for Sponsored Sales, Eliminates Nondeductible Partnerships
Resolution Passed Urging Participation in Rapid Report, Kraft Foods’ Don Miceli Elected Chairman of the Board
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (November 14, 2006) — Reflecting a rapidly changing media industry, the board of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) agreed to allow consumer magazines the option to report print circulation, website traffic, and other auditable media in one aggregated gross figure summarized on a Consolidated Media Report. ABC launched a similar report for business publications in July. However, at its recently completed meeting, the board agreed to use a new term, “Total Contacts,” to describe this group, replacing the “Total Audience Reach” label previously in use.
ABC also modified sponsored sales rules for consumer magazines. Beginning in January, new programs must inform the recipient who the sponsor/purchaser of the subscription is; sales-agent invoices must detail purchase quantities and payment by publication; and each sponsor must outline how the purchase promotes its business and how the copies will be used.
“All of us on the ABC board are united in our push for circ transparency and clarity, while recognizing our responsibilities to all ABC constituents,” said David Leckey, executive vice president of consumer marketing at American Media Inc. and chair of the ABC Magazine Committee. “The additional reporting requirements for sponsored sales provide a protective structure to this subscription source and keeps the format of the new ABC Publisher’s Statement in tact.”
The ABC board also modified rules governing magazine partnership programs, agreeing to eliminate nondeductible partner sales effective July 1, 2007. Qualified programs may run past that date for the duration of the initial agreement and be reported as “paid” on corresponding ABC statements.
ABC also named Donald J. Miceli, vice president of global media resources at Kraft Foods, its new chairman of the board for a one-year term.
“I’m honored to serve as chairman of such a respected and vital organization,” Miceli said. “The print medium is undergoing ground-shifting change that includes increasing pressure on circulation numbers, calls for additional metrics, and tremendous growth in online audiences. ABC plays an integral role in this space. By bringing together marketers and publishers, ABC is an independent forum that fosters dialogue, encourages debate, and develops rules and products for the good of its members and the industry. I look forward to upholding this outstanding tradition.”
Other Key Board Actions
All ABC media divisions approved rule modifications allowing free or discounted access to archived content as part of a subscription.
The ABC board also approved the launch of a new, streamlined reporting program for magazines published once per year and distributed solely via newsstand retail outlets. Titles participating in this program will report circulation estimates via ABC’s Rapid Report tool and will be verified by ABC auditors.
With more than 40 consumer magazines now reporting per-issue circulation statistics via Rapid Report, use is growing. However, the board would like to see broader industry adoption. To encourage this, it passed a formal resolution stating that it considers ABC Rapid Report to be an important initiative for the magazine industry and urges participation by all consumer magazines.
New Directors Elected
ABC members elected three new directors to the board: Bruce Claassen, CEO of Genesis Media in Toronto; Jack Griffin, publishing group president at Meredith Corp.; and Robin Steinberg, senior vice president at MediaVest USA.
The ABC board of directors’ meeting was held Nov. 8-11 in Las Vegas, in conjunction with the organization’s annual meeting. For a complete summary of board actions and election results, visit ABC’s Virtual Pressroom.
Members are also invited to attend an ABC post-board-meeting recap online via web conference, Nov. 16. The session for magazine members begins at 11:00 ET; the session for newspaper members begins at 2:00 ET. The cost is $149. Interested attendees can register on the ABC website.
With more than 4,000 members in North America, ABC is a forum of the world’s leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and ad 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 an array of verified readership, subscriber demographics and online activity data. To learn more, visit http://www.accessabc.com.
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