ABC Reports Variance Data

Circulation Management, June 1, 2004

The Audit Bureau of Circulations has released its first summary of aggregated variance data for consumer magazines, showing an average adjustment of - 0.33% for the 2003 calendar year.

Nine percent of all Publishers Statement claims were adjusted downward by greater than 2%, and 42% were adjusted downward by 2% or less from December 2002 to November 2003. Another 49% were adjusted upwards or had no adjustments.

The annual tally is based on 622 audits.

The percentages were similar throughout the year. The number of claims adjusted by more than 2% hit a high of 10% during the December 2002-March 2003 period and a low of 8% in the August-November 2003 timeframe.

The percentage claims adjusted upwards or needing no adjustments hit a high of 51% in the April-July period, and a low of 47% during December 2002-March 2003.

"It should be noted that the 2% variance threshold does not imply that negative adjustments of less than 2% are somehow 'allowed' by ABC rules,' said Michael J. Lavery, president and managing director, in a statement. "It is simply a pre-determined cutoff point dictated by ABC's publisher, advertiser and agency members."

Mike Moran, senior vice president, print audit services, for ABC, said in a statement that starting in April, "all subsequent consumer magazine ABC Variance Reports will be accompanied by similar data summaries. "For comparison purposes, the 2003 aggregated data outlines how consumer magazine Publisher's Statement claims compared with ABC-verified audit figures throughout 2003."

Downward Adjustments