News media paid promotional programs.
Paid Circulation Defined
Rule C 1.1/Rule C 101.1 Paid Circulation Defined is the primary rule for defining what price must be paid by consumers for the circulation purchased to qualify as paid on AAM reports. This rule stipulates the consumer must pay at least one cent, net of all considerations, for either a subscription or single copy to qualify and be classified as paid circulation.
Net of Considerations
A consideration is anything that a consumer may be offered to encourage them to purchase a newspaper. For example, a coffee mug featuring the newspaper’s logo or tickets to a local sporting event are both considerations. Net of considerations is the amount of money the publisher receives after the value of the consideration has been deducted from the purchased price of the newspaper or subscription.
Notes:
- Promotions must clearly identify the price, term and frequency of the paid subscription/single-copy sale(s).
- Arrear copies served less than four consecutive months immediately following the paid subscription expiration date may be included in paid circulation.
- Maintain all promotional materials for audit.