Rules & Resources
Newspaper Support Center

Home-Delivery Promotions Guidebook—Canadian Newspapers

Joint Distribution Agreements

A joint distribution agreement (JDA) is defined as a situation when a newspaper that publishes less than seven days a week wants to distribute copies of another newspaper on those days of the week when it does not publish.

For example, Newspaper A publishes a newspaper on Monday through Saturday, but not on Sunday. Newspaper B publishes seven days a week. Newspaper A may wish to enter into a joint distribution agreement to service its subscribers with Newspaper B on Sunday.

Qualification

If a newspaper wishes to enter into a joint distribution agreement, the following requirements must be met as of the date the agreement becomes effective for the newspaper that does not publish seven days a week:

  • The service of the joint days must be effective for all subscribers, by reporting market.
  • All frequencies of the newspaper must include the joint day(s) of delivery
  • It may only enter into a joint distribution agreement for no more than two days on which it does not publish.

Example:
Newspaper A publishes a newspaper on Monday through Thursday. Newspaper B publishes seven days a week. Newspaper A may wish to enter into a joint distribution agreement to service its subscribers with Newspaper B for Friday and Sunday. As of the effective date of the joint distribution agreement, the following must occur:

  • The Friday and Sunday issue of Newspaper B must be forced on all subscribers of Newspaper A.
  • All frequencies of Newspaper A offers must include the Friday and Sunday issues of Newspaper B.
  • Newspaper A may not expand its joint distribution to include Saturday of Newspaper B, as it is already servicing the maximum limit of two joint days on which it does not publish.

Note: If Newspaper A does not wish to force Newspaper B on all of its current subscribers, then the joint distribution agreement concept is not applicable. The sale of the two publications together would be a combination sale and all combination sales rules and guidelines would apply.

Pricing

A basic price must be established for the joint distribution agreement frequency.

All current subscribers to whom the joint distribution service was added must have paid a minimum of one cent, net of all considerations. All new and renewal subscription offers must reflect a qualifying price of no less than one cent, net of all considerations.

Promotional Material

All promotional material must:

  • State the two newspapers involved in the joint distribution agreement.
  • State the term and frequency of the joint distribution service.
  • State the purchase price.
  • Reflect a qualifying price.
  • Exclude any reference to either of the newspapers as being free, no additional cost, bonus, or other synonymous language.

Example—Joint Distribution Agreement

Reporting

Circulation generated from joint distribution subscriptions is classified as Home Delivery—Joint Distribution Agreement on the ABC Publisher’s Statement.

Canadian Publisher's Statements delineate between circulation sold at 50 percent or more of basic prices and circulation sold at less than 50 percent of basic prices.

The price classification for joine distribution subscriptions is based on the subscription price offered to the consumer compared to the joint distributin basic price(s).

  • If the price offered for the subscription is 50 percent or more of the joint distribution basic prices, the circulation is included in Paragraph 1A.
  • If the price offered for the subscription is less than 50 percent of joint distribution basic prices, the circulation is included in Paragraph 1B, with further disclosure in Paragraph 1G.

In Paragraph 2, the circulation is classified in the proper reporting zone based on where the copies are delivered to the subscriber.

Paragraph 8 will provide a description of the joint distribution agreement. For each agreement, the details disclosed include the name of the two publications involved, the basic price(s) for the joint distribution service, and the fact that no other service option is available for the newspaper published less than seven days.


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