C 4.1 Timing of Audit

Effective October 1, 2008

(a) All audits for newspapers in the same city shall be for periods ending at the same date. If an audit is made for a shorter period on one of the newspapers in the city, the averages for the shorter period shall be the first of averages shown in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of reports issued for all newspapers in the city.

The regular audit of a daily newspaper shall cover a 12-month period ending with a calendar quarter. A daily newspaper with average weekday paid circulation of 50,000 25,000 copies per issue or less may request an audit covering a 2-year period ending with a calendar quarter. Audit Reports and Publisher's Statements for newspapers using the 2-year audit plan will be issued on a simplified reporting form with Paragraph 2 reporting on the basis of either zones, "City of Publication" or Newspaper Designated Market.

Effective April 1, 2009
A daily newspaper with average weekday paid circulation between 50,001 and 75,000 copies per issue may request an audit covering a 2-year period ending with a calendar quarter provided the following conditions are meet:

(1) Third party sales are less than 5% of paid circulation.

(2) The newspaper must participate monthly in the Preprint Projection Center.

(3) The last released audit may not have an adjustment that exceeds 2%.

(b) If, for any reason, the regular audit has not been made until after three months have elapsed since the end of the audit period, the Bureau may include in its audit such additional three months in order to give the latest information. In cases where the audit period ends with any date other than a regular semi-annual period, the publisher shall file a six-month Publisher's Statement covering the months intervening between the end of said statement period and the three months following the close of the audit period.

(c) In cities near one another or in such geographical relation that it is economical to audit the publications therein for identical periods, the audit periods in those cities shall be made to coincide.