At its recent meeting, the board of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) agreed to several rule changes affecting U.S. and Canadian newspapers.

It gave final approval to a new rule that allows Canadian newspapers with total average paid circulation between 50,000 and 75,000 to be audited every other year, beginning in April 2009. A similar rule is being considered for U.S. newspapers, but the board deferred final approval to allow ABC advisory committees more time to review and comment on the matter.

The board also agreed to modify the rule governing how newspapers report sales by price categories. Pending final approval, U.S. newspapers in April will be required to report subscription circulation sold above and below 25 percent of basic price if more than five percent of a newspaper’s subscription circulation falls into the lower price category. The board voted to discontinue plans to require newspapers also to report an average price.

Merle Davidson, ABC’s newly elected chairman of the board and director of media services at J.C. Penney Co., noted, “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.”

Other Key ABC Board actions

• Following the adoption of a new multimedia report format for business publications at its previous meeting, the ABC board agreed to eliminate the Consolidated Media Report in July 2009 to prevent market confusion. The new multimedia report allows publishers to report Web site traffic, e-newsletter activity and pass-along receivership data within Paragraph 1 of ABC reports. Last week the ABC board also agreed that publishers can include a “total gross contacts” figure to the integrated report beginning with Dec. 2008 statements.

• For digital versions and editions of business publications, the ABC board agreed to eliminate the requirement that publishers send an e-mail to paid subscribers notifying them that the latest issue is available. For nonpaid subscribers, the e-mail notification is still required.

• The board took no actions that affected consumer magazines at this meeting.

The ABC board of directors meeting was held Oct. 29 – 31 in New York City, in conjunction with the organization’s 94th annual conference and business meeting.