The Audit Bureau of Circulations, the major newspaper circulation outfit, announced a new reduced fee program for smaller newspapers that it calls more affordable.

“ABC has contracted with American Opinion Research, a leading full-service quantitative and qualitative media research firm, to field the readership studies for U.S. newspapers that do not meet Audience-FAX tier one standards,” the release states. “By retaining a single research firm to conduct all the studies and standardizing some questions, ABC-member newspapers can now obtain high caliber, independently verified readership studies beginning at a total cost of $11,500, with volume discounts that drop costs to as low as $9,500.”

The entire announcement is below:

The Audit Bureau of Circulations has launched a new readership service that allows small to midsize newspapers to engage in audited readership studies at an affordable price and report the data via the acclaimed Audience-FAX program.

ABC has contracted with American Opinion Research, a leading full-service quantitative and qualitative media research firm, to field the readership studies for U.S. newspapers that do not meet Audience-FAX tier one standards. By retaining a single research firm to conduct all the studies and standardizing some questions, ABC-member newspapers can now obtain high caliber, independently verified readership studies beginning at a total cost of $11,500, with volume discounts that drop costs to as low as $9,500.

“We are excited to offer small to midsize newspapers a low-cost opportunity to glean and promote valuable information about their readers that is only available via customized readership studies,” explained Mark Wachowicz, ABC's senior vice president, marketing and sales. “For the first time, these newspapers now have an incredibly affordable alternative to traditional studies.”

Participants' audited readership data will be reported on ABC Publisher's Statements, Audit Reports, FAS-FAX reports, two Audience-FAX online databases and a standalone Audience-FAX readership report. Newspapers will also receive the complete research study disc, cross tabs and the details of audit findings.

More than 175 U.S. newspapers are currently participating in Audience-FAX, an industry initiative launched in 2007 that integrates newspaper circulation, print readership and online audience measurement data on ABC's U.S. newspaper statements.