The board of the Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) has confirmed the discontinuation of its print media audit services. The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and Circulation Audits Bureau (CAB) print audit services will discontinue from April 2024.
The AMAA conducted audits of print media for major publications that sell their print and digital copies via the ABC audit, and for publications that distribute all or a large portion of their copies for free via the CAB audit.
The ABC audit, conducted every six months, reported the average total paid sales per issue, plus the average net paid print sales and average net paid digital sales per issue.
The CAB audit established the average net distribution per issue of a publication in a defined audit period, and reported how the publication was distributed to the recipients.
All AMAA members have been informed of the decision and the last audits completed were ABC audits for the period ending June 2023 and CAB audits for the period ending September 2023.
AMAA members will have the option to engage independent auditors to conduct audits for their publications.
AMAA chairman and Zenith Media CEO, Jason Tonelli, said the focus of the AMAA “has always been on providing industry-wide best practice services that support advertising spend.”
“The changing nature of print media and the growing focus on readership and other reporting metrics has resulted in a decrease in the need for traditional media audits, and while the AMAA has continued to provide this service over the last four years, the time is right to shift our attention.”
Over the past four years, the AMAA has been working with advertisers, media, PR and talent agencies through its Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO), developing best practice guides and tools to promote industry regulation and leading standards.
AiMCO will continue and is now the main focus for the AMAA Board with a new direction under new managing director, Patrick Whitnall.