Apple's latest tablet computer, the iPad, may just be what magazine publishers need to boost declining circulation.
The Audit Bureau of Circulations said Tuesday that it has changed its definition of a digital magazine to accommodate the new class of tablet-style devices. The new rules allow publishers to count paid digital subscriptions as part of a magazine's overall circulation as long as all the same editorial and advertising material is included.
The new definition would mean that publishers can now can custom design their articles and photo spreads for Apple's iPad, which goes on sale April 3. Without the rule change, they could only count digital editions that appear exactly the way they do in print.
Traditionally, magazine publishers charge for ads based on the size of their so-called rate base, the circulation they guarantee to advertisers. Few consumer magazines or newspapers have also failed in getting large numbers of readers to pay for access to Web sites.
Subscriptions on many existing e-readers, such as Amazon Inc.'s Kindle, don't count because those editions don't carry ads. But the iPad will have a backlit screen that can carry color advertising alongside articles, opening up another potential revenue stream.
GQ's iPhone app, which meets the auditors' new guidelines, may provide the best barometer. About 6,800 people downloaded the first issue for US$2.99, according to company figures - not a significant rate compared with the magazine's overall circulation of just under 900,000. But it's still a start, nonetheless.
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