Three Newspapers Are Sanctioned

By ELENA CHERNEY
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
July 13, 2004

"TORONTO -- Seeking to strengthen advertisers' confidence in newspaper-circulation figures, the industry group that audits North American newspaper sales took the unusual move of placing sanctions against three U.S. newspapers for "fraudulent" practices.

"The board of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Schaumburg, Ill., suspended the Chicago Sun-Times, Newsday and Hoy newspapers from ABC's closely watched, semiannual FAS-FAX report, which gives advertisers and media buyers a preliminary look at circulation figures.

"In addition to the one-year suspension, the newspapers, all of which reported inflated circulation numbers to ABC, will have their circulation numbers audited every six months instead of annually for the next two years.