ABC Amends Rules For Reporting Electronic Circulations
The Audit Bureau of Circulations has announced a change to its rules to allow publishers to report sales of digital editions on their existing ABC print certificates from next month.
The move, which was agreed in principle last December, clears the way for publications produced in both print and digital formats to include the latter on their ABC certificates for the first time.
However, while digital editions can now be reported on the print certificate, they can not be included in the average net circulation figure. The two sales figures will be reported separately in an attempt to allow for more clarity for advertisers and agencies when dealing with publishers.
The new rules will be implemented from July following several months consolidation by a working group comprising leading UK advertising buyers, publishers of national newspapers, regional newspapers, and magazines, as well as the Association of Online Publishers.
Earlier this year the Association Of Online Publishers wrote to ABC chief executive, Chris Boyd (pictured), to express its dissatisfaction at the new rules, claiming they do not provide publishers a good enough incentive to have digital circulation figures audited by ABC.
At the time, Annelies Van Den Belt, digital director for News International, said: “Times Newspapers Ltd does not understand why the ABC insists on treating e-papers differently to the print edition of newspapers and magazines. Our edition is a digital replica and therefore we consider sales of a digital copy as valuable as the printed copy.”
However, Boyd insists that: “By introducing these rules, publishers can ensure that they are providing advertisers and media buyers with data on both their print and digital editions’ circulation that is both totally transparent and comparable.”
The Guardian and the Observer recently became the latest national newspapers to cash in on the increasing popularity of the internet with the launch of digital editions for online readers. They joined the likes of Times and the Telegraph with e-papers replicating the layout of their print editions (see Guardian And Observer Launch Digital Editions).
ABCe: 01442 870800 www.abce.org.uk
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