"Branded editions" – products published by a newspaper under a different name such as commuter dailies – will now be included in total average circulation figures. Another key change to the rules will allow newspapers to count single subscribers multiple times if they subscribe to multiple platforms, such as print, e-readers and mobile.
According to a release, "the [ABC] board's aim is to establish a foundation for the future as more newspapers move to bundled print/digital subscription offers and hybrid publishing plans".
A prototype for the new ABC Publishers Statement has been released to demonstrate the changes, including branded editions, subscriptions via e-readers, websites, and mobile apps, readership data, and a new "verified" category of nonpaid circulation.
ABC also announced that it had agreed to freeze audit rates and prices in 2011, the fourth consecutive year in which rates have been held in place.
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