The Alliance for Audited Media supports reporting paid circulation in different categories, based on discount. Some example categories might be:
Paid circulation 50% or more of the basic price
Paid circulation at 25% - 49% of the basic price
Other paid circulation
Circulation uses the price levels defined here to assign subscriber rates or single copy routes to one of the categories above. Subscriber rates can be assigned price levels during Rate Code setup, and single copy outlets can be assigned price levels in Single Copy Route setup (or the Route Setup Utility). For rates or routes that do not have price levels assigned, Business Rules will be used to determine the price level.
Note: Price levels are optional. Also note that unpaid draw (unpaid comp, service, samples, unpaid single copy, etc.) will always be reported in the Unpaid portion of the AAM reports, and so does not need a price level.
Once defined, the AAM price levels must be given report headings. That is done in AAM Report Headings (documented next). To define price levels:
Select AAM Price Level from the AAM menu to display the AAM Price Level Setup screen.
Click the Add icon and complete the following fields.
AAM PRICE LEVEL
open (8)
Enter the ID for this AAM price level.
DESCRIPTION
open (15)
Enter a description of this AAM price level.
Click OK to save the price level in the database or Add Another to save the existing record and add another price level.
The Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) requires newspapers to submit circulation figures for auditing purposes. In order to gather circulation figures, Circulation requires that every route and single copy outlet be assigned to an AAM column. A route can only be assigned to one AAM column, but an AAM column can contain information from many routes.
During the setup of your routes, you will define which AAM column the draw for each route is associated with.
These columns cannot be changed—in other words, all mail copies will be reported in the mail column and nowhere else. The remainder of the circulation figures—regular (or “paid”) copies from routes or single copy outlets—are user-defined and usually reflect how the product is delivered. An example might be:
Before setting up AAM columns, you should determine the level of detail required for reporting. Each subscription type should be put into only one AAM column. For example, you could set up one AAM column for bulk subscriptions for city hotels and another for suburban hotels. Although you may combine the totals for these two AAM columns under the AAM report heading “hotels” on circulation reports, these separate definitions make circulation totals available for city and suburban hotels for use in ad hoc (user-defined) reports. In this example, you would not set up an AAM column for “hotels” since the circulation totals would be stored in the “city hotel” and “suburban hotel” AAM columns. See for more information about AAM Report Headings.
As another example, suppose an AAM column is required for each carrier region to allow a breakdown by region of carrier circulation figures in ad hoc reports. If there are four regions in the primary market area (North, South, East, and West) and you want to retain detail at the carrier region level for ad hoc reporting, set up AAM columns as shown:
If, however, you have no need for ad hoc reporting, simply set up the following AAM Column for this same report area:
It is important to be careful about setting up your AAM columns because they define the way circulation totals are stored and reported. If you change your setup plan after circulation history has been retained, it may be impossible to compare subsequent circulation history with previous history in a meaningful manner.
Routes are assigned to AAM columns in Distribution | Route | Distribution Point | Specifics | Distrib Point Publ. The Route Setup Utility in Distribution | Route can also be used.
Select AAM Column from the AAM menu to display the AAM Column Setup screen.
Click the Add icon and complete the following fields.
Click OK to save the AAM column in the database or Add Another to save the existing record and add another AAM column.
Use this option to set up the rows that appear on the AAM Paid and Qualified History report.
In character Circulation, select Paid/Qualified Row from the AAM menu to display the AAM Paid/Qualified Row Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
Select Accept to save the information.
Select Specifics | Paid/Qualified Row Link to link AAM columns to paid/qualified rows (see below).
Set up more rows, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
The Paid/Qualified Row Link specific is used to link AAM columns to paid/qualified rows.
Select Specifics | Paid/Qualified Row Link from the AAM Paid/Qualified Row Setup screen.
Press F1 and select Add to open the AAM column field.
Enter the AAM column that should be linked to this row, or press F2 to select from a list.
Select Accept to save the link.
Link another column, or press F4 and select Exit to exit the screen.
NDM
(newspaper designated market area)
CARRIER
CARRIER
AAM COLUMN
open (10)
Enter an AAM Column ID, such as “Dealer”.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter the description for this AAM Column, such as “Newsstands”.
THIRD PARTY
yes/no
Indicate whether this column’s draw should be reported as third-party draw when running AAM reports.
PAID/QUALIFIED TYPE
predefined
Indicate the Paragraph 3 report column to which this AAM column belongs: Business/Traveler, Qualified, or Other.
START DATE, END DATE
date
Enter the date range in which this AAM Column may be used. You may leave End Date blank.
PRODUCT
setup
Enter the product for which this row is to be used.
EDITION TYPE
predefined
Identify the edition type for this row. Select Print, Digital Replica, or Digital Non-Replica.
AAM REPORT HEADING
predefined
Select the AAM report heading to use for this row. Select Individually Paid, Business/Traveler Paid, Qualified Home Delivery, Qualified Single Copy, or Unpaid.
AAM REPORT CATEGORY
open (40)
Enter the AAM report category for this row.
ROW ORDER
integer
Enter the position in which this row should be displayed (e.g., 10, 20, 30, etc.)
UnpdComp
Unpaid Complimentary Copies
PaidComp
Paid Complimentary Copies
Mailed Copies
Samples
Sample Copies
Service
Service Copies (for shortages, etc.)
ThirdParty
Third Party Sales
Carrier
Carrier delivered paid circulation
MotorRte
Motor route delivered paid circulation
Racks
All rack draw
Dealers
All dealer draw
NDM (newspaper designated market area)
CARRIER
NCARRIER
SCARRIER
ECARRIER
WCARRIER
This section guides the user through the menu options that are available under the AAM menu.
AAM report headings are the titles which appear above each circulation amount on the Daily Circulation Report and the History report (both required for AAM reporting). The circulation amount itself is made up of one or more AAM columns.
Report headings are user-defined and usually break down circulation totals horizontally by use or delivery method. The reports are organized vertically by product and, within each product, by AAM zone plus Bulk, Unpaid, and Paid Complimentary (see the example of the Tribune Daily Circulation Report on The Tribune - Daily Circulation Report). The Paid Complimentary AAM report heading and content are automatically printed, rather than being user-defined. However, you must set up AAM report headings for your AAM zones and the Bulk and Unpaid AAM report areas. See AAM Column for more information on setting up AAM columns.
Headings for price levels (see the previous option) are also defined here.
In character Circulation, select AAM Report Headings from the AAM menu to display the AAM Report Heading screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
PRODUCT
setup
Enter the ID of the product for which you wish to set up report headings.
ENTITY TYPE
predefined
Indicate whether you are defining a heading for an AAM Report Area (headings for the standard AAM reports) or an AAM Price Level (headings for the AAM price level reports).
ENTITY ID
setup
Enter the AAM Report Area or price level for this heading. If Entity Type is set to “AAM Report Area”, Entity may be set to “bulk”, “unpaid”, or any user-defined AAM zone.
If Entity Type is set to “AAM Price Level”, any valid AAM price level, “bulk”, or “unpaid” may be entered. Note: “Bulk” circulation will be reported under “Third Party Sales” on the price level reports.
HEADING 1ST LINE
open (8)
Enter the first line of the report heading. Report headings may be one or two lines long.
If you use a one-line heading, enter it in Heading 2nd Line so that it is positioned immediately above the column.
HEADING 2ND LINE
open (8)
Enter the second line of the report heading or enter the first line for a one-line heading.
COLUMN ORDER
integer (10)
Enter the order in which this report heading should appear horizontally on the report(s).
Order the report headings by increments of 10, so that new columns can be inserted later.
Select Specifics | AAM Report Heading Link to link the report heading with one or more AAM columns that have been previously set up (see below).
Select Accept to enter the report heading and associated specific information into the database.
Set up more report headings, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
The circulation history is stored in the AAM columns, and the AAM report headings are the reporting areas.
Select Specifics | AAM Report Heading Link from the AAM Report Heading Setup screen to display the AAM Report Heading Link Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
PRODUCT, AAM REPORT AREA, HEADING 1ST LINE, HEADING 2ND LINE
display
These fields are displayed from the AAM Report Heading Setup screen.
AAM COLUMN
setup
Enter the AAM column with which to link this report heading.
Select Accept to accept the link.
Link the report heading to another column, or press F4 and select Exit to return to the AAM Report Heading Setup screen.
The Audit Bureau of Circulation (AAM) requires that paid circulation totals be reported by “zone”. These zones are user-defined, and at least one AAM zone must be set up. For example, you might define a “City” zone (CITY) for addresses within the city, a “Retail Trading Zone” (RTZ) and an “All Other Zone” (AOZ).
Towns of 25 (also used for AAM reporting) are smaller areas within AAM zones (they occasionally overlap). Both Towns of 25 and AAM zones are assigned to address ranges when routers are set up, so that Circulation automatically defaults an AAM zone for a start. If routers are not used, the AAM zone can be entered manually during a new start. Routes are also assigned to AAM zones, and AAM reporting is based on route setup.
Note: Do not set up a record here for two predefined report areas, “Bulk” and “Unpaid”.
In character Circulation, select AAM Zone from the AAM menu to display the AAM zone Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
Select Specifics | AAM Zone Publication to link the AAM zone to a publication. This specific can also be accessed from Business | Products | Publication.
Select Accept to enter the AAM zone (and associated specifics) into the database.
Set up more AAM zones, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
AAM ZONE
open (6)
Enter an ID for the AAM zone, such as “PMA”.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter the description for this AAM zone, such as “Primary Market Area”.
