Screenshots

I am still perplexed as to how the ABC could audit the circulation of a newspaper that does not have a circulation in the first place! Let me explain. From what I understand (I have been in the newspaper business for more than a decade), a "copy" is audited as a "sale" if it's sold for not less than 50 per cent of the cover price. For eg, NST supplies about 10,000 copies daily to hotels in KL for 60 sen a copy, inclusive of delivery, so that's considered 10,000 sold copies in the ABC audit.

The Sun is a FREE newspaper. It charges you 30 sen if you want it delivered to you, but that's delivery charges. 50 per cent of nothing is nothing, so how does the ABC audit "nothing"?

The Sun's numbers - whether it's 230,000, 203,000 or 265,000 - are called Print Order. The Star prints probably 430,000 copies daily (print order) and sells 320,000 a day (circulation). The NST's print order is 153,000 and its circulation 127,000 (plus the 60 sen copies sold to hotels).

Logically, the ABC should start a new category just for The Sun. And logically The Sun cannot be allowed to boast that it's circulation is so-and-so because it does not have a circulation as we know circulation.

I have never seen any leftover The Sun at any shop.

Anyway, lots of my lil cousins buy Sunday Star just to read Dear Thelma, no wonder they got good readership on Sunday.

Good point lubok melayu. Perhaps we can classify a new metric for measuring theSun's so-called circulation. Let's call it "number of copies chupped by mamaks to wrap nasi lemak bungkus"

Lol, but I don't think the Sun is THAT bad, auyongtc. The problem with them is they tend to be righteous and holier-than-thou, and some of their old writers have a view of life (eg councils) that's black-and-white-and-nothing-
in-between. When the Sun sticks to news and info, it's probably the best paper around (also because it's free). But when people like Guna, Zainon and even Ho Kay Tat try to mimic their mentors at the NST, that's when I'd chuck the copies I take to the mamaks.

But on a serious note, let's get Jeff to tell the ABC about the circulation vs print order issue. I'm sure NST will back up Jeff on this (and lift the firewall on Screenshots even - yes, they are desperate!).

I mean, look, everyday I go to the 7-Eleven at my place and take a copy of the Sun because it's free. My maid sometimes take a copy when my ma-in-law takes her shopping. And when I'm in my pet hang-out place at Damansara or Bangsar, I'll grab anothe copy (why not?) so that I don't feel naked not holding anything while waiting for friends.

In a day, my little househodl could have 3 copies of the Sun! At the Club, some more they send the Sun! Check out Vincent Tan's Bukit Kiara, they must send a couple of thousand copies a day to that place for the waiters and club members to take home and keep for the paper lama guy.

Scandalous, man. and you claim in your ediotiral today that you are NO 1 in Klang Valley!

lubok melayu
nothing wrong with claiming to be the top. Gives you something to live up to.
I pay 30 sen to have the Sun delivered every day. I do miss the comics though.
and to the same commentator - I'm presuming you're having a dig at Citizen Nades. Leave him alone. If he doesn't keep chasing the Councils, who will? They are a law unto themselves. arrogant and largely useless. MPK is as bad as the old MPPJ. Hairbrained schemes - horses, ceremonial outfits, fibreglass palm trees, grandiose public lighting, shall I go on? If he doesn't keep mentioning these wasteful schemes, who will. I hope the Sun keeps it's civic consciousness alive.

okay the thing that I don't get is, to put it bluntly,

siapa Jeff sampai ABC has to answer him?

JEFF OOI says: See, another Malaysia Boleh! He so tackles the person instead of tackling the issue. I am just THINKING ALLOWED, THINKING ALOUD. Since you didn't ask the question, I had to. I was expecting industry insiders' comments like Lubok Melayu's to surface, and I was right -- we do have informed professionals among my readers, as many as Empty Vessels like C-Fu.

Buah berangan dalam kota,
Direndang orang tengah hari;
Jangan tuan kata-mengata,
Takut menimpa hidung sendiri.

See the difference between empty vessels like me and informed professionals like you (I suppose) is you sounded like you demand people to answer "our" questions, while I do not (demand).

The way I see it, no matter what number ABC or you or theSun can dish out, it doesn't really matter. 'cause the figure will definitely be skewed, depending on who you ask. You're asking for statistic of a free paper la brader.

JEFF OOI says: You are missing the trees for thebush. What we are asking is public accountability of a professional bidy (ABC Malaysia) if its figures has been misrepresented in an advertisement. What's the actual Audited Average Net Circulation going by industry convention -- Was it ngam ngam 230,000 or was it 200,973. The variance must be ratified professionally. And industry insider Lubok Melayu has provided a perspective. Yes, in this particular case, you ARE an empty vessel.

Yes, mr. informed professional. You are asking for a _statistic_ of an _industry_convention_figure_ for a _free_ newspaper.

Free, in a Malaysian sense/context.

Industry convention newspaper, that is not at all conventional, both as in free, and as in it's different than other newspapers.

And a statistic(!), of something free that you cannot really make sure that people don't misuse the paper to bungkus, to sell it back to the paper lama ah pek, to cover their heads during this pouring season, or basically for something other than reading. How do you take that into account to get a conventional circulation figure is beyond a mere empty vessel.