If All You've Got Is a Gizmo,
You've Got a Long, Long Way to Go
By David Lapovsky

	Ratings System Components Introduction Sampling Panel Balance Data Processing Station Encoding and/or Monitoring Operations and Production Sample Weighting Useful Reports Multiple Market Measurement Client Service Support for the Industry MRC Accreditation Print-friendly: Click here to print entire document.

Media Rating Council Accreditation
A Must

How can a user know that the ratings service is using valid and appropriate methods? The most reliable way is by looking for the mark of Media Rating Council^® accreditation on the service’s reports—the MRC double check marks. The MRC and independent audit firms working for the MRC exhaustively scrutinize every aspect of a ratings service and make certain that the results are valid, reliable and effective before granting accreditation. It’s important, too, that the MRC accreditation process is underway before audience estimates are put into use. MRC accreditation can take years, and users should be wary of using audience estimates that are not demonstrating that they are up to MRC standards. The recent people meter issues in television are a good illustration of the questions over ratings validity that can arise when a service begins operating without MRC accreditation.

Arbitron’s diary-based services are MRC accredited. Attaining MRC accreditation is a difficult endeavor. It requires a significant investment in systems, staffing and research; a clear demonstration of competence and the ability to execute; and agreement among the data users that the proposed ratings service makes the appropriate disclosures and provides valid, reliable data. MRC began auditing the PPM service in Houston in February 2005. We have every confidence that the PPM service will win MRC accreditation, but the date on which that could happen is not in our control.

Clearly, radio audience estimates go well beyond the instrument used to capture the raw information from respondents. So when you hear about the latest new device for measuring radio audiences, don’t conclude that you’re hearing about a new ratings service. Take the time to understand the totality of the system that the ratings service is proposing to put in place. When you do, you’ll see the Arbitron advantage.

PPM™ is a service mark of Arbitron Inc.
Media Rating Council^® is a registered mark of the Media Rating Council.