A
ABC	Audit Bureau Circulations / an organization that provides certified statements of net paid / qualified circulation of magazines and newspapers. The first issue is on pink paper, while the official audited document is printed on white paper.
Added Value	Additional media delivery, merchandising or promotion provided to an advertiser by a purchased medium, that provides greater value to the media buy.
Affiliate	A broadcast station bound to a contractual relationship with one or more networks to carry network-originated programs and announcements.
Agate Line	A newspaper space measurement that measures 1 column wide and 1/14 inch deep. Rarely used these days – the Wall St. Journal is the exception.
B
BDI	Brand Development Index / the number of cases, units or dollar volume of a brand sold per 1,000 population. It is calculated by dividing the percentage of sales in a market by the population percentage in the same market.
Billboard	In broadcast, free airtime (e,g, brought to you by) given to a sponsoring advertiser. In outdoor, an advertising structure.
Bleed	In print media, the illustration or copy is extended to the edge of a page so there is no white border – may be a premium charge for this.
Bulletin	Outdoor billboard generally posted on highway and major thoroughfares. Average size is 14’ high by 48’ wide (live area), and these are used to rotate between locations throughout the showing.
C
CDI	Category Development Index / the percentage of total U.S. sales of a product category related to population percentage in a geographical market.
Checking Copy	A copy of the publication sent to an advertiser / agency as proof that the advertisement appeared as ordered.
Column Inch	A newspaper space measurement that measures 1 column wide and 1 inch high as a cost factor.
Composition	The percentage of individuals in each demographic cell for any media vehicle.
Cost per Point	The unit cost divided by the rating of the program in which the commercial will appear.
Cost per Thousand	The cost per 1,000 individuals delivered by a medium or media schedule.
Coverage	The percentage of persons covered by a medium.
Cume	Based on the total number of unduplicated persons reached by a TV or radio schedule.
D
Daypart	Times of broadcast for TV and radio.
DEC	Daily effective circulation – The number of persons estimated to pass an out-of-home unit during the average day.
DMA	Designated Market area – Unduplicated television area to which a county is assigned on the basis of highest share of viewing.
Duplication	The number or percentage of people in one vehicle’s audience who are exposed to another vehicle or the same vehicle (e,g, weekly TV show or magazine) within the advertising period.
E
Effective Reach	The number of individuals reached by a media schedule at a given level of frequency.
Efficiency	The relationship of media cost to audience delivery.
F
Frequency	The number of times an individual is exposed to an advertising message.
Frequency Discount	A rate schedule that allowed to an advertiser who purchases a specific schedule within a specified period of time.
G
Gross Impressions	The sum of audiences of all vehicles used in a media plan, representing the message weight of a media plan. This includes all duplicated impressions.
GRP	Gross Rating Points / The sum of rating points delivered by a given list of media vehicles. Generally refers to household points, not a specific target.
H
Hiatus	A period of non-activity.
I
Index	A percentage that relates numbers to a base.
Impressions	A sum of all exposures expressed in terms of actual numbers of persons reached (with duplication).
M
Makegood	Compensation for missed spot or ad due to error by station/publisher.
Metro Area	The hub(s) of a TV market but does not encompass the entire population of a TV market. Generally are individual radio markets within a TV DMA.
Merchandising	Promotional activities that complement advertising and are provided by media purchased for advertising.
P
Pass-Along-Reader	A person who reads a publication that he or a member of his family did not purchase.
Premiere Panel	A vinyl wrap over a 30-sheet outdoor billboard, making it half the size of a bulletin. Also called a junior bulletin. Generally posted on major thoroughfares. Size is 12’ 3" high by 24’ x 6" wide (live area).
Primary Reader	Readers who purchased a magazine or are members in a household where the publication was purchased.
Q
Quintile Distribution	A display of frequency among audiences grouped into equal fifths of total reach.
R
Rate Base	The circulation of a print vehicle upon which rates are based – may or may not be guaranteed.
Rate Card	States the costs for advertising as well as other pertinent information relating to the vehicle.
Rate Protection	A guarantee that an advertiser’s current rate under the old rate card will be protected for a specified period of time should a new rate be introduced.
Rating	The percentage of individuals exposed to a particular TV or radio program.
Rating Point	One rating point is equivalent to reaching 1% of your target.
Reach	The number of different individuals exposed to a media schedule within a given period of time.
Readers per copy	The average number of readers of a magazine per copy of circulation. When multiplied by circulation, the result equals its audience.
ROP	Run of Press / a position request to run an advertisement anywhere in the publication.
ROS	Run of schedule / a broadcast commercial for which a definite time is not specified.
S
Short Rate	The dollar penalty an advertiser pays for not fulfilling space requirements. The penalty is the difference between the contracted and earned rate in print media.
Showing	Gross rating points within out-of-home advertising. A #25 showing reaches 25% of individuals in the given market daily.
Sponsorship	The purchase of one or more announcements within a program may allow advertisers to receive bonus time via billboards.
Spots	TV / radio commercial announcements.
T
Tabloid	A newspaper smaller than the size of the standard newspaper OR a magazine larger than the standard magazine.
30-sheet poster	Outdoor billboard generally posted on non-highway streets. Size is 10’ 6" high by 22’ x 8" wide (live area). Note that paper is used to post ads on these units and there are approximately 8 sheets that make-up the ad.
TSA	Total Survey Area / In radio, the area in which radio signals from an originating market can be received.
TRP	Target Rating Points / The sum of target rating points delivered by a given list of media vehicles.
U
Unwired Networks	A combination of TV or radio stations in separate markets cooperating to sell advertising at a discounted rate.