Single Copy

Single-copy circulation is defined as single issues to be purchased by individual consumers for personal use.

There are various situations that generate single-copy sales. The most common are the following:

• Retail stores will purchase copies from the publication and resell those copies to individual consumers at their place of business.
• Hawkers (street sales people) may purchase newspapers and resell these copies to individual consumers on the streets (subways, train stations, bus stations, busy street corners, etc.)
• Copies may be placed in vending machines (racks) where an individual consumer inputs coins in order to gain access to a copy of the newspaper.
• A newspaper may sell single-issues of the newspaper over the counter at their business location(s).

Basic Prices

A basic price is the price that anyone can purchase a copy or subscription from the newspaper at any time. A newspaper establishes its own basic prices and discloses them in Paragraph 5A of the Publisher’s Statement.

Basic prices may be established for the following methods of distribution:

• Mail
• 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-week, one-year, etc.)
• For single-copy, separate basic prices may be established for daily and Sunday issues.

Paid Circulation

ABC defines paid circulation as subscriptions and single copies paid at an amount of at least one cent, net of all considerations. All circulation figures on ABC documents for single-copy sales are net sales. All unsold copies (copies not resold to consumers) must be excluded from paid circulation figures.

Back Copies

An issue of a newspaper becomes a back copy after the following corresponding day’s newspaper is available for sale. In other words, a Monday issue becomes a back copy when the following Monday’s newspaper is available for sale, a Tuesday issue becomes a back copy when the following Tuesday’s newspaper is available for sale, etc.

For example, the Monday, July 2, 2007 issue becomes a back copy as soon as the Monday, July 9, 2007 issue goes on sale. All single issues of the July 2 newspaper sold until the July 9 issue goes on sale may be claimed as single-copy paid circulation on ABC documents, provided the sale complies with all other qualification requirements, such as pricing.

In the example, copies of the July 2 issue sold on or after July 9 are back copies. Sales of back copies are not eligible for inclusion in paid circulation on ABC documents.