Sledgehammer in hot ABC soup again

• ABC puts a number of publishers on notice for audit figures
• Serial offender Sledgehammer Communications included
• Publishers have until 5 May to submit numbers

Malaysia - The Audit Bureau of Circulations has put a number of publishers on notice and demanded submission of audit figures or risk being struck off the register, including serial offender Sledgehammer publications which publishes Adoi.

The ABC Malaysia told A+M today that the publishers had until 5 May to submit the numbers for the July 2007 to July 2008 period before action was taken.

"If they can't then their audit will be terminated because we've already given them leeway," Jacob Matthews, Secretary for the Audit Bureau of Circulations, said.

When contacted for comment regarding the issue, ABC Chairman Peter Das confirmed that long standing industry publication, Adoi is among the titles being urged to submit figures and "get audited".

This is not the first time Sledgehammer Communications has run afoul of the ABC which ordered the removal of ABC logos from its un-audited title Marketing in October last year.

Despite Adoi's rate card claiming an audited circulation of 6,844 copies, it is understood the title has missed two audit cycles in a row. Missing the latest deadline will see the publication forced to remove ABC logos.

Sledgehammer Communications' regional CEO Harmandar Singh could not be reached at his office or on his mobile phone for comment on whether the publisher would submit numbers before the ABC's deadline expires. It is understood Singh may still be recovering from an illness.

"Without accurate media measurement marketers are wasting their spend on best guesses or dishonest claims," Tony Kelly, editorial director for the Marketing Magazine Group, said.

"We at Lighthouse strongly believe in providing advertisers with honest and accurate circulation data; the magazines in the Marketing Magazine Group are audited in every market in which we operate in and Malaysia will be no different - Advertising + Marketing has already committed to an inaugural circulation audit for the July 2009 to December 2009 period after which its circulation will be audited on an annual basis," Kelly said.

Kelly said Lighthouse will happily pay the ABC audit fees for both Adoi and its other title for the July 2008 to June 2009 period - to allow for fair competition and give clients "the most accurate indication of just how many copies both companies are circulating."

"We hope Sledgehammer does the right thing by the deadline and commits to being an audited publication and we'll be happy to write the cheque."