ABC Cancels Annual Conference, Rescinds Key Rule for Mid-Sized Papers

By: Jennifer Saba The Audit Bureau of Circulations has decided to cancel its annual meeting scheduled for November in Toronto.

"We're disappointed to postpone this year's conference, but it's the right thing to do in the difficult economic environment all businesses are faced with," Mike Lavery, ABC's president and managing director, said in a statement. "Many of our member organizations are under widespread travel and budget limitations, and are trimming discretionary expenses such as attending industry conferences. The board made this decision now, early in the year, so ABC members can plan and budget accordingly."

ABC plans to hold a "brief meeting" in New York on Nov. 11 in order to elect board directors and conduct other business. The annual conference is scheduled to resume in Toronto in 2010.

The decision was made during an ABC board meeting last week that took place in Naples, Fla.

At that meeting, the board also decided to rescind a proposed rule that would have allowed newspapers with circulations between 50,000 and 75,000 to be audited every other year. The organization said that annual audits would better serve advertisers who are looking more closely at papers of that size.

"In today's economy, advertisers are under tremendous pressure to demonstrate the return on their marketing investments," Chris Black, division president of media at Sears Holdings Corp., said in a statement. "Newspapers in this circulation range are highly valuable to us, and an annual ABC audit gives us the kind of detailed, independently verified data we need to fine-tune our media buys."

Beginning April 1, publishers will be able to report circulation sold above and below 25% of the basic price only if more than 5% of a newspaper's circulation falls in the lower category. The data will be included in a separate report available to advertisers in a password-protected area on ABC's Web site. It will not be broken out on ABC statements. The new rule that allows publishers to report paid circulation regardless of the price goes into effect on April 1.

ABC also announced a joint partnership with the Newspaper Association of America. Both organizations are teaming up to examine the growing use of electronic and nontraditional editions. Jerry Hill, director of audience and new business development for the St. Petersburg Times, will chair the task force.

ABC appointed two new directors to its board: Ed Cicale, vice president of media services at AutoNation Inc., and Evan Ray, senior vice president of finance and operations, at Gannett's U.S. community publishing division.

The board honored former director Mary Jacobus, president and COO of the Regional Media Group of The New York Times Co. Jacobus passed away on Feb. 20. ABC made a donation to a college scholarship fund established for her three children.