3. CIRCULATION AUDIT PERIODS

Externally Audited Circulation Reports: Newspapers: The Externally audited report will be for the 12 month period finishing December 31st each year. Magazines: The Externally audited report will be for the 12 month period finishing June 30th each year. Note: Magazine publishers have additional requirements as noted in Clause 3.1.4 and 3.1.5 Publisher Statements: These are quarterly annualised reports submitted direct to the Bureau that do not require sign off by an external auditor. The time frames are identified in 3.1

3.1.

The following are the circulation audit report periods:

3.1.1.	Newspapers (daily, non-daily and weekly):- the periods from 1 January to 31 December inclusive, the periods from 1 April to 31 March inclusive, 1 July to 30 June inclusive, 1 October to 30 September inclusive (or 52 weeks in each period of 12 months nearest to the period referred to);
3.1.2.	Community newspapers that choose not to audit bulk distribution copies within their home circulation area: - The period from 1 January to 31 December inclusive (or 52 weeks in each period of 12 months nearest to the period referred to above);
3.1.3.	Community newspapers that choose to include bulk distribution copies within their home delivery area: the period from 1 January to 31 December inclusive (or 52 weeks in each period of 12 months nearest the periods referred to above.)
3.1.4.	Magazines and bulk distribution publications:

(a)	Magazines publishers are obligated to complete an external audit on the basis of 12 months circulation information concluding June 30th each year
(b)	Magazine publishers joining the Bureau in the period July to December of a year and wishing to have their circulation information on the ABC site are obligated to complete an external audit on their titles for the period ending December 31st. They must also complete the external audit ending June 30th. (as above in 3.1.4 (a) )
(c)	Should a publisher wish to maintain an Externally Audited report for periods ending December and June, the publisher must register their intent to do so with the Bureau prior to 1 October of the year in question.
(d)	Publisher Statements; Publisher statements will be accepted and released by the Bureau conditional to an External Audit being registered at the Bureau (3.1.4 a,b,c) Periods covered: Quarter ending 30th September - 12 months data to 30th September. Quarter ending 31st December - 12 months data to 31st December. Quarter ending 31st March - 12 months data to 31st March * (* Publishers joining Bureau as per 3.1.4 (b) can submit this publisher statement) As each quarter is added the earliest quarter is removed. The circulation return is then averaged over the 12 months

3.1.5.

Publisher Statement Summary for Magazines.

(a)	Quarterly Publisher Statements will be accepted and released by the Bureau conditional to an External Audit being registered pursuant to 3.1.4 a,b,c.
(b)	Quarterly Publisher Statements must be supplied each quarter for titles that have an Average Net Circulation of 15,000 or more.
(c)	Quarterly Publisher Statements must be supplied each quarter for all titles that have an Average Bulk Distribution of 15,000 or more
(d)	Quarterly Publisher Statements are optional for all titles with less than 15,000 Average Net Circulation.