Board Makes Review of Premium Rule – Archive Access

Premium rules define all extraneous items, except current issues of the publication, “door openers,” sample merchandise provided to all consumers, and back copies delivered as part of a subscription, as a premium. When a premium is offered in conjunction with a subscription or single issue, the consumer must pay a qualifying price for the publication, plus the full value of the premium, in order for the circulation to be reported as paid on ABC reports.

At the July 2006 board meeting the business, farm, consumer magazine, and newspaper divisions reviewed current premium rules as they relate to offering free or discounted archive/back content access to current subscribers. The board supported that premium rules should not apply to this situation and asked that ABC staff work with liaison committees of each publishing division to craft updated premium rules. Updated rules will be reviewed by the board at their November 2006 meeting for possible action.

Posted August 9,2006