media glossary - B

back copies
An issue of a publication is considered to be a back copy immediately upon the appearance for sale of the next issue.

back end results
The final results of a mailing or promotion for magazines or other direct marketing. It includes the final figures of paid and unpaid orders and shows whether or not a list is profitable. For promotions it accounts for later profits (or losses) from new customers.

back issue
Issues of a publication dated prior to current issue.

back issuing
Starting a subscription with back issues. ABC prescribes limits, depending upon publication frequency. (Also called Back Start)

back start
Starting a subscription with back issues. ABC prescribes limits, depending upon publication frequency. (Also called Back Issuing)

backbone
A set of wires running between buildings to link computers in one site to those in another, much as the spinal cord sends messages to various parts of the human body. Smaller networks branching out from the backbone are sometimes called ribs.

backup
The extra copies of files and applications created in case the originals are lost or damaged.

backup charges
Production cost to put an advertiser’s supplied insert through a press in order to print "filler" ad on a blank page.

bad debt
A customer’s account which is removed from accounts receivable when payment appears hopeless and it is recognized that it won’t be paid.

bad debt reserve
A reserve or provision for doubtful accounts, an amount set on the books as an expense to provide for the normal or anticipated percentage of bad debt losses within a given period of time. (See Allowance for Bad Debts)

balance
1. The amount of an account available to be spent or to be re-paid.
2. Amount owed or unpaid on a billing transaction. Also referred to as the "outstanding or unpaid balance."

balance due
The total owed after deducting all applicable discounts from a billable transaction. (See Balance, Amount Due, Net)

bandwidth
1. The data transmission capacity of a network. A measure of how fast a network can move information, usually measured in thousands or millions of bits, (MB OR KB) or units of data, per second.
2. Also used colloquially to refer to brain power of a person.

bankruptcy
Legal action taken under state law or the Federal Bankruptcy Code by or against an insolvent debtor unable to meet its obligations as they become due. (See Chapters 7, 11, 13)

banner
Banners are the 486-by-60-millimeter space atop commercial Web sites that agencies and advertisers make such a fuss about. As a design medium, the banner is the Web’s answer to the toothpaste tube - that is, a creative director's nightmare.

barter
To trade or exchange goods or services for other goods or services without the use of money, i.e., free advertising space bartered for booth space at a trade show, or free advertising space bartered for free personal computers. (See Trade Out, Exchange)

basic price
The price at which subcriptions or advertising may be purchased by anyone, without limitation, for a definite duration, as opposed to a special price for a limited class or under limited conditions.

basic rate
(See basic price)

baud
A unit of communications speed. Baud is often used when bps should be. The speed in Baud is the number of discrete conditions of signal elements per second. If each signal event represents only one bit condition, then Baud is the same as bits per second. Baud does not equal bits per second. For instance, most 9600 bps modems are 2400 Baud.

baud rate
The speed at which a modem can transmit data. Baud rate measures the number of signal changes that occur in one second. "Baud rate" and "bps" are not synonymous.

BBS "Bulletin-Board System."
Once referred to stand-alone desktop computers with a single modem that answered the phone, but can now be as complicated and interconnected as a commercial service.

benchmark studies
Research studies designed to tell advertisers how they compare to their competitors. Often with regard to

brand
awareness, preference, advertising recall, company reputation, or other issues. Studies may be conducted before and after major ad campaigns.

Beta
Second version of a computer program, usually the first one distributed to a limited group of potential users for further testing, and to identify bugs.

Betamaxed
When a technology is overtaken by an inferior, but better marketed, technology. "Apple was betamaxed out of the market by Microsoft."

Better Business Bureau
A voluntary, non-profit group established to improve the code of business practices and to define fair standards and ethics in business. The Better Business Bureau may be involved in adjudicating disputed advertising claims.

bi-monthly
A publication issued every two months.

binary or binary code
The digital language of 0’s and 1’s.

bi-weekly
A publication issued every two weeks.

BIFF
Shorthand for one of the more catastrophic events to interrupt a network: Backhoe-Induced Fiber Failure, when a low-tech excavating machine severs a high-tech data pipeline. (See Fiber)

bill
A list of charges for goods sold, work performed, or services provided to the person or company who has agreed to pay the costs. (See Invoice)

bill agency Advertising instructions. Invoice for ad unit(s) billed directly to the agency of record, the advertiser’s representative, in the net amount (after agency commission deduction). This invoice is charged against the agency’s account as the creditor.

bill client care of agency Billing instructions. Invoice for ad unit(s) billed to the advertiser’s account as creditor Aged Trial Balance. However, the invoice is mailed to the agency of record. Billing is in the net amount (after agency commission).

bill client gross Advertising instructions. Invoice for ad unit(s) billed directly to the advertiser in the gross amount (prior to any agency commission deduction). In this case, the advertiser has no agency of record and no recognized in-house agency, and most likely the meida created the ad. The client and is therefore not entitled to any commission deduction. This invoice is charged against the advertiser’s account as the creditor.

bill client net Advertising instructions. Invoice for ad unit(s) billed directly to the advertiser in the net amount (after agency commission deduction). In this case, the advertiser usually has an in-house agency and is therefore entitled to the standard agency or independent creative firm commission deduction. This invoice is charged against the advertiser’s account as the creditor.

bill direct remit Advertising instructions. Invoice for ad is billed directly to the advertiser in the gross amount (prior to any agency commission deduction). Upon payment by the advertiser to publisher, publisher will rebate the commission amount to the advertiser’s agency of record. This invoice is charged against the advertiser’s account on the as the creditor.

bill direct remit in care of Advertising instructions. Invoice for ad unit(s) billed to the advertiser’s account as the creditor. However, the invoice is mailed to the agency of record. Billing is in the gross amount (prior to any agency commission deduction). Agency must then bill their advertiser. Upon the advertiser paying the gross amount to the publisher, publisher will rebate the commission amount to the agency of record.

bill of lading
A form of agreement with a common carrier identifying the freight and representing both a receipt and a contract for the shipment. A bill of lading must show the name and address of the consignee, the number of items in the shipment, their total weight, the type of goods being shipped, and the shipper.

billing close
A monthly cut-off date when all invoice and adjustments for the month must be finalized.

billing correction
An invoicing change made to correct or compensate for an error or difference on an advertiser’s account which results in the settlement of the disputed item. (See Adjustment)

billing cycle
A period of time from one Statement of Account to the next, usually a 30-day period.

Bind
To assemble, then staple or glue a printed product and trim it to its intended size.

bingo card A card inserted into a magazine from which readers can circle numbers that correspond to stories or advertisements in order to obtain additional information. by mail on the stories or advertisements cited. (See Reader Service Card, Circle Numbers)

bits 1. When information is digitized, it is turned into ones and zeros. So all digital information is made up of bits. The number system of bits is binary; that means base 2. In our world, the number system is base 10. Think of a bit as an on/off switch. Off is zero and on is one. Now look at the on/off switch on a computer. Sneaky, huh? Inside computer chips there are millions or billions of on/off switches making up the code that hold data.

blanket contract An advertising scheduleor contact submitted by either an agency or an advertiser to cover a 12 month contract period which usually stipulates contract year, ad sizes, and frequency rate but does not specify actual insertion dates of advertisements. Blanket contracts may or may not be legally binding.

bleed Printing and/or color that runs off the outside, top, or bottom of a page. Elimination of white border.

blow-in In a magazine, a loosely inserted element, such as an order card. For magazines going through the US Postal Service, blow-ins are not allowed for outside advertisers.

blow-up

An enlargement.

blue line

Pre-press proofs for printed material at the last stage before going to press. Originally blue lines were made with the same process as architectural blue prints and thus the name. They may no longer be blue. Also may refer to special color blue used in the Art Department to mark mechanicals. This special color blue is not picked up when photographing.

blurb
Small amount of type, usually a few words.

bogie
The performance hurdle established for a department or anyone on a sales incentive program which must be reached before certain incentives kick in.

book
1. The magazine industry’s term for a magazine or periodical.
2. To "book" an order is to place it on "the (accounting) books", i.e, make the order official; especially for accounting purposes.
3. The first form of mass communication.

book publishing ads

Advertisements placed by legitimate publishers of printed matter or their agents; often published at a distinct (lower) ad rate.

boot

To start a computer.

booth
One or more standard units of exhibit space.

BOT
A computer program with humanlike behavior (short for "robot"). In live-chat areas like channels, bots are often programmed to represent their creators, to moderate games, or to perform such tasks as delivering local e-mail messages.

bottom line
1) The net income profit or net loss shown on a financial statement.
2) The effect, meaning, or end result of an issue, transaction or statement.

BPA
Business Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc. An independent auditing agency for the purpose of auditing circulation statistics of primarily free distribution publications.

bps (bits per second). A measure of speed in serial transmission. also used to describe hardware capabilities (i.e., a 9600-bps modem). The term bps is not the same as "baud rate."

branding
A school of advertising that says, "If the consumer has heard of us, we’ve done our job." Fortunately, for agencies, brand value is extremely difficult to measure, so branding campaigns can be easily defended with grandiose predictions of future glory. And, yes, everyone is going to be the next Yahoo. Just wait. Really. You’ll see.

brand awareness study
Designed to establish familiarity levels of manufacturers for different product categories. (See Market Position Studies) Q Rating

brc
A pre-addressed card that enables the reader to respond the advertiser’s ad or promotion It may or may not have postage pre-paid. (See Business Reply Card)

bre
Envelope pre-addressed for return. Postage may or may not be already paid. (See Business Reply Envelope)

break in service
Suspension or problem with subscription which causes subscriber to miss issues.

break-even point
A business term indicating a zero profit because total operational income equals total expense. The amount at which revenue from a sale exactly equals the cost of the sale.

breakdown
To itemize estimates, invoices.

bridge
The simplest device for hooking together two or more networks, generally ones that use the same scheme for packaging and sending data. (See Router)

bristol
Generic name for a stiff paper that compares to postcard weight or heavier.

broadband
Generally refers to "high bandwidth" connections. A popular way to refer to moving large amounts of voice, data and video. Broadband technology lets different networks coexist on a single piece of heavy-duty wiring. It isolates signals as a radio does; each one vibrates at a different frequency as it moves down the line. Its opposite is baseband, which separates signals by sending them at timed intervals.

broadcast calendar
A schedule utilized in the media industry whereby months of the year always begin with a Monday, and always end with the last Sunday of that specific month.

broadcast storm
A peculiar affliction of computer networks. Computers, for various reasons, occasionally malfunction and start spewing out mindless data. When that happens, the traffic jam clogs up the network.

broadcaster
A company that owns a transmitter serving a community. Not to be confused with a network.

broken link
A hyperlink where the referring page no longer exists.

browser
A software application that permits browsing, retrieval and viewing of content from the World Wide Web and intranets.

BTW
An abbreviation for "by the way." "BTW, you forgot to send me that file."

budget
An itemized summary of projected expenditures (and income) for a project or company.

budget phasing
WHAT Periodic appropriation on annual revenue and/or cost.

built-in virus definition
See SAM Virus Definitions file.

bulk sales
Sales of multiple copies of a single issue of a publication, book or program to one person/firm.

bullet
A round dot. Used to precede each item in a list of items.

bulletin board system (BBS)
An on-line service that allows messaging, electronic mail, and file transfer between computer users via modem.

bus
The pathway on a chip or circuit board that sends and receives data. The bus on a computer’s main circuit board, often called the mother board, has slots for expansion cards.

business publication
Magazine or periodical which deals with a specific field, and is published to interest and assist persons actively engaged in the field it covers.

business reply card
A card meeting Postal regulations bound into an issue usually adjacent to related ad. This card enables the reader to respond to the advertiser’s ad. Postage is usually paid by the advertiser. Card is pre-addressed. (See BRC)

business reply envelope
Envelope pre-addressed for return. Postage may or may not be already paid. (See BRE)

by-line
Name and title of the author of a article as indicated at the beginning or end.

bytes
First see bits. Bytes are typically eight bits put together to create a single computer character. Eight bits that can either be zero or one means you can represent 28 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2 or 256 different letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.