In a story published Saturday, the alt-weekly and its parent company, Creative Loafing, Inc., announced that return figures had been inaccurate, possibly for years, under former Circulation Director Zarko Bajsanski. The paper has taken steps to correct the problem, including firing Bajsanski and at least one driver. "I feel like I'm a victim in this as well," says publisher Amber Abram. Bajsanski blames the drivers for providing inaccurate return sheets. The Weekly Planet has also dropped its print run from 95,000 to 85,000 copies and eliminated financial incentives for drivers to keep returns low. Advertising materials have not been changed, and the paper's management expects an upcoming Media Audit report to be consistent with the quality of readership figures provided to advertisers.
