The Audit Bureau of Circulations said today that it plans to publish newspaper circulation and audience data for the six months ending Sept. 30, one week from today. The industry-supported group will post its FAS-FAX report on its website by 8 a.m. ET.
Earlier: Big circulation losses among GCI papers, Deutsche Bank says
Monday, October 20, 2008
10 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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ABC statements come out every 6 months...its public information. This is not news.
ReplyDeleteTo some people it is news, there are many employees that do not have any idea what the real circulation is.
ReplyDeleteMost of the Gannett papers I know of have never provided the 'real' ABC numbers to employees let alone the local advertisers. They either use old numbers which make things look better or just lie to cover up the failure of the circulation.
ReplyDeleteJim, when the true numbers come out next week, could you publish them on this site for all of the Gannett papers?
I'll publish all the numbers I can get. But ABC generally only makes public -- i.e., for you and me to see -- figures for the top-50 circulating papers. (Or maybe it's the top 100.)
ReplyDeleteOnly a few GCI papers are in that category. So, unless someone's willing to slip me a complete Gannett list, I'll have to work with whatever is available.
Of course, you could always ask your newspaper publisher -- but I know that's problematic for many of you.
Ad rates are based on circulation (ABC numbers) and most advertisers do their homework. except maybe the mom and pops.
ReplyDeleteSome background on ABC numbers.
ReplyDelete"When newspapers fudge the numbers" from 2004 in the St. Petersburg Times.
"Newsday and Hoy Settle Circulation Case for $15 Million" from the NY Times last December.
"Cooking the Books" from the Recovering Journalist on the most recent relaxation of ABC standards.
Are these numbers estimates are actual paid subscriber numbers? I'm asking for a reason. I cancelled a subscription via the phone call place in December, 2007, but they kept littering my yard with papers for three more months. When they sent a bill, I simply wrote "cancelled 12/07" and haven't heard a word since. Can I find out if they counted me as a paid subscriber?
ReplyDeleteIn October, there is supposed to run in every paper that gets mailed a publisher's report. This is to detail (I think) average paid circulation, most recent actual circulation, and several other circ numbers. You may have seen similar disclosures in your October magazines.
ReplyDeleteAs that's a USPS requirement, I think the number may be more accurate than the ABC fudge number, what with paid, sort of paid, kinda paid, used to be paid, and free distribution. So you can find out your own numbers, but good luck on any others.
I'd love a circ director who could tell us how many subscribers we have - but I trust calling the pressroom more and checking out the press run. You know we don't print two copies more than we absolutely have to....
You can't go by the pressrun, that includes papers that are put out in stores and racks but not purchased and other unpaid copies.
ReplyDelete8:55, true.
ReplyDeleteBut I have no problem telling a customer that last Sunday the pressroom cranked out 235,934 copies, which includes copies that aren't sold... rather than 'our ABC audit from 3/31/08 says we had 237,925 subscribers"... and then have to explain what counts as a subscriber and why we have to live with numbers from March when broadcast has new numbers weekly.