The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has provisionally approved modifications to circulation metrics that will impact how publishers report as of April 1st, 2009. Final confirmation of the changes should come at the next board meeting in July.

Paid circulation is currently divided into three categories: copies where 50% or more of the cover price is paid, copies where 25% to 50% is paid (referred to as discounted circulation), and other paid, which includes copies for employees, third parties, and hotels, as well as newspapers in education. All three categories factor towards the total average circulation figure, reports Editor & Publisher.

The changes include:
- Newspapers to be considered "paid" by ABC regardless of the price
- Other paid circulation will now be termed "verified" circulation, following the lead of the magazine industry
- Creation of a new category "business/traveler" for copies distributed to hotels or businesses
- Papers with a circulation of 50,000 or less now have the option to be audited every two years instead of annually. The former marker was set at 25,000 and below.

"Our goal is to clearly define important measurement standards, streamline the audit process and provide advertisers and publishers with the framework required for today's marketplace," Donald J. Miceli, vice president of global media resources at Kraft Foods and ABC chairman, said in a statement.

Source: Editor  & Publisher