ABC Brings In New Rule

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is changing its rules so that all consumer magazines with display ad revenue over £5m a year will have to report large issue variances.

Magazines with a variance of more than 20% above or below the average will have to report the change, which will then be included in published ABC data. The actual percentage variance will not be shown but each change will be recorded as being above or below the average.

The rule only applies to titles that report every six months and will come into effect from the July to December 2001 audit period. Titles with display advertisement revenue less than £5m per annum will also have the option to report issue variances in this way.

Director of newspapers and magazines at the ABC, Martyn Gates, said: “The rule was developed because of issues occurring in the market place. Media owners wanted more detailed information, which is what this new rule gives them.”

Last month the ABC abolished the rule allowing publishers to sell magazines at a minimum price of 1p (see ABC Amends Minimum Price Rule), after both Hello! and OK! saw unusually high rises in circulation in the latest set of ABC results (see Newsline).

ABC: 01442 870800 www.abc.org.uk Subscribers can access full ABC figures by selecting “Press” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.