ABC Extends Filing Deadline in Response to Wholesaler Shutdown

Committee to investigate how to account for incomplete information as a result of the newsstand disruption.

By Chandra Johnson-Greene
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

In response to Anderson News ceasing its wholesale operations earlier this year, ABC will extend its filing deadline and move the release date for the June ’09 FAS-FAX report to accommodate members that have been affected. ABC’s Magazine Directors’ Advisory Committee (MDAC) has also formed a task force to provide recommendations to the ABC board on how consumer magazine publishers should account for newsstand sales where there is incomplete information and reporting of issues as a result of the closure.

According to an email sent to periodical members yesterday by Theresa Perry, SVP, publisher relations and report processing, the task force was formed at MDAC’s June 4 meeting and the ABC board will review its recommendations at its July 22-24 meeting in Chicago. Consumer magazine members will then be alerted so that they may adjust their June 2009 FAS-FAX and Publisher’s Statement data appropriately.

The board’s ruling on the matter will be publicly released on July 28.

The new FAS-FAX and Publisher’s Statement filing schedule, which is in effect for all periodical members in the U.S. and Canada, is as follows:

July 1
Online filing available for consumer magazine/farm/religious and business publication June 2009 FAS-FAX report and Publisher’s Statements.

August 14
Filing deadline for consumer magazine/farm/religious and business publication June 2009 FAS-FAX report and Publisher's Statements.

August 31
Scheduled release date for consumer magazine/farm/religious and business publication June 2009 FAS-FAX report.

September 2
Filing deadline for consumer magazine/farm/religious June 2009 FAS-FAX supplement report.

September 10
Scheduled release date for consumer magazine/farm/religious June 2009 FAS-FAX supplement report.

For periodical members that have not been affected by Anderson’s closure, ABC is asking that they submit their June 2009 claims as soon as possible and not wait until the extended deadline.

Anderson News suspended “normal business activity” in February after the company tried to impose a 7-cents-per-copy price hike on publishers. Publishers refused to pay the surcharge forcing the company to shut down its wholesale operations.