ABC releases Media24 audit results

8 Feb 2008

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) this afternoon, Friday, 8 February 2008, released three statements concerning audits on titles by Media24, New Media and 8 Ink Media, and lifted the suspension on the Media24 titles involved in last year's circulation scandal.

“A number of Media24 titles were suspended when the ABC discovered that their circulation had been fraudulently inflated,” states Charles Beiles, GM of the ABC.

“Following the conclusion of the audit requested on all Media24 titles, the suspensions have been lifted and the affected titles will be reinstated from 1 January 2008. The Board of the ABC has censured Media 24 for these fraudulent activities and is of the view that circulations were deliberately manipulated.

“The audit of all Media24 titles has revealed that there are a number of other transactions which have not been correctly reported. In particular, those involve inter group transactions which, inter alia, have breached the Code of Conduct of the ABC. This conduct is disapproved of by the Board which requires that the circulation of these titles covering the period January 2006 to March 2007 be invalidated or re-classified as follows:

Publisher	Title	Period	Average quantity	Action
Media24	Finweek	Jan-Mar 2006	2810	Reduction in circulation
Media24	Finweek	Jan-Mar 2006	2917	Re-classification from subscriptions to bulk sales
Media24	Finweek	Apr-Jun 2006	4077	Re-classification from subscriptions to bulk sales
Media24	Finweek	Jul-Sep 2006	2769	Re-classification from subscriptions to bulk sales
Media24	Finweek	Jan-Mar 2007	3439	Reduction in circulation
Media24	Kick Off	Apr-Jun 2007	1769	Reduction in circulation
Media24	Wisden Cricketer	Jun-Dec 2005	833	Reduction in circulation
Media24	Wisden Cricketer	Jan-Jun 2006	600	Reduction in circulation
Media24	Sports Illustrated	Jan-Mar 2007	6000	Reduction in circulation
Media24	Best Life	Jan-Mar 2007	5000	Reduction in circulation

In the second statement, Beiles says: “The audit of titles published by New Media has been completed and has revealed certain classification errors, which are detailed below:”

Publisher	Title	Period	Average quantity	Action
New Media	Taste	Jan-Jun 2007	1322	Re-classification from current sales to back issues
New Media	Time Out	Jul 06-Jun07	10030	Re-classification from third party bulk sales to controlled free distribution – bulk requested

In the third statement, Beiles says: “The audit of titles published by 8 Ink Media has been completed and has revealed administrative or classification errors, which are detailed below:”

Publisher	Title	Period	Average quantity	Action
8 Ink Media	Real Simple	Jan-Mar 2006	9750	Re-classification from copy sales to third party bulk sales
8 Ink Media	Real Simple	Jan-Mar 2006	1000	Declared in incorrect period
8 Ink Media	Seventeen	Jan-Mar 2006	500	Declared in incorrect period
8 Ink Media	Seventeen	Jan-Mar 2006	1167	Reduction in circulation
8 Ink Media	Seventeen	Apr-Jun 2006	500	Declared in incorrect period