• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, December 28, 2006

Consumer magazines will no longer be able to report copies distributed in public places as part of a single, average qualified circulation estimate, according to new rules being imposed by magazine circulation auditing firm BPA Worldwide. During a year-end meeting, the BPA's board voted to "clarify reporting of public place copies, including removing the category from the average qualified circulation, as well as "how ordered" breakouts in the BPA's reports.

The BPA did not disclose why the board ordered the rules change, but the move ostensibly is being made to provide greater disclosure to magazine advertisers and media buyers about the composition of a magazines circulation.

"Additional disclosure of public place copies will now be required within the breakout of qualified circulation (of the analyzed issue) including separate reporting by single or multiple public place copies and if those copies were paid for by a third party," the BPA said, adding, "A separate sub-total of public place copies is also provided."

The BPA board also modified the following rules:

* Combined print and digital copies for late mailings and distribution analyses: Publishers have requested that digital copies and print copies be included together in the analyses and allowances of late mailings and distribution shortages. Previously, digital distribution and print distribution were analyzed separately in the audit process.

* Immediate posting of circulation statements: The newly amended rule allows publishers' circulation statements to be posted to the BPA Web site immediately after receiving approval from the publisher to print, eliminating the previous waiting period of printing before posting.

<>* Promoting above average circulations: In accordance with its publicity guidelines to allow publishers to fairly and transparently promote their circulation figures, BPA ruled that in cases where publishers promote a single issue's circulation and that issue varies by more than 10% of the average qualified circulation, then the average circulation for the period must be footnoted in the publicity piece. The rule amendment was requested to control those publishers promoting "spiked" circulation for one issue. The additional explanatory notes will ensure that the media buyer and advertising community are not misled.