Audit Bureau of Circulations may change rules for papers

Circulation numbers are vital for newspapers, because they help determine how much the paper will receive for its ad space.
Exactly how the paper reports those numbers, and what they end up totaling, may change in the near future, according to Editor & Publisher.

In a statement, Merle Davidson, the newly elected chairman of the [Audit Bureau of Circulations] board and director of media services at J.C. Penney, said: "Many newspapers and their advertisers are under increasing economic pressure. The ABC board is finalizing the implementation of a broad set of sweeping rule changes that will help to lower costs, streamline audits, better define circulation categories, and provide greater pricing and marketing flexibility for publishers."

Among other things, the new changes mean that newspapers will no longer be required to differentiate between how many copies they sold for at least 50 percent of the basic price, and how many copies were sold for less.

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