ABC Attempts To Put An End To Bulk Sales Bickering

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has finalised it rules in the auditing of bulk sales of national newspapers. This new set of codes is intended to prevent the disputes over bulk sales which have been dogging the ABC for some time (see Bulk Sales Battle Between NI And Mirror Group).

The Mirror Group has been using bulk sales to Ladbrokes outlets for a number of years and these significantly boost the paper’s ABC figure. Mirror Group defends this practice, saying that the papers are distributed in line with racing events and that all other publishers employ this practice as well.

Mirror Group managing director, Roger Eastoe, said recently that he was confident that the redrafted ABC regulations would find no problem with the Ladbrokes bulk dump. However, the new rules look set to put a stop to this practice.

“Firm-sale retail-level bulk sales, which have been the subject of recent controversy between Mirror Group and News International, will not normally be admissible. Indeed, the ABC finds it difficult to conceive of circumstances where such retail-level bulk sales could be admitted under the new rules.”

A number of categories, including airlines, hotels and trains, will be admissible for bulk sales, where copies up to a certain percentage of the seats or rooms involved will be counted.

The revised rules come into effect on 29 June 1998, and the first figures to be certified under these rules will be for July 1998, released on 17 August.

Audit Bureau of Circulations: 01442 870 800