Rules & ResourcesNewspaper Support Center
Home-Delivery Promotions GuidebookCanadian Newspapers
Definitions
Home Delivery
Home-delivery circulation is defined as subscriptions purchased by individual consumers for personal use. A subscription is defined as the purchase of more than a single issue of a newspaper, either in print or electronic format.
Home-delivery copies are often delivered to subscribers in one of the following methods:
- Carrier: Individual that delivers the newspapers on foot
- Motor Route: Individual that delivers the newspapers via a motor vehicle
- Mail: Copies delivered via the United States Postal Service
- Electronic Editions: copies delivered electronically. See also Electronic Edition Guidebook.
Basic Prices
A basic price is the price that anyone can purchase a subscription from the newspaper at any time. A newspaper establishes its own basic prices and discloses them in Paragraph 6 of the Publisher’s Statement.
Basic prices may be established for the following methods of distribution:
- Home Delivery
- Motor Route
- Single Copy
- Electronic Editions (effective 7/28/08)
Within each of these categories, one basic price may be established for each of the following:
- ABC zone (city zone, retail trading zone, newspaper designated market, etc.)
- Frequency of delivery (Sunday-only, seven-day, weekend-only, etc.)
- Term (various subscription lengths such as one-month, 13-weeks, one-year, etc.)
Basic prices may not be established for specific editions of the newspaper or based on payment method.
See also Rule C 21.2 Prices.
Paid Circulation
ABC defines paid circulation as subscriptions and single copies paid at an amount of at least one cent, net of all considerations.
See Rule C 21.1 Paid Circulation Defined.
While Rule C 21.1 Paid Circulation Defined is the primary rule defining paid circulation, it is not the only ABC rule a newspaper must consider when creating home-delivery promotions. Rules also exist governing premiums, combination sales, frequency conversions, etc. Therefore, a newspaper must consider all other pricing rules applicable to the program they are developing.
