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The recent decision by the Media Rating Council to suspend the accreditation of Nielsen’s national and local ratings service shed a light on the important role the organization plays in the media community. Despite its recent high profile, the MRC is nearly sixty years old, in addition to auditing and accrediting (or non-accrediting) audience measurement services, plays a number of other roles in the media community. For example, the MRC investigates ratings irregularities, they conduct education seminars, they develop measurement standards and standardized definition guidelines for audience measurement and produce “white papers” on a number of topics for the media community to consider.
The origins of the MRC dates back to the early 1960s when a Congressional Committee held hearings for the purpose and accuracy of audience research and considered regulation related to the TV and radio industries. These hearings were informally referred to as the “Harris Committee Hearings on Broadcast Ratings.” When the hearings concluded it was decided the industry should self-regulate instead of undergoing direct government oversight. As part of the decision was the implementation of independent audits of ratings providers and the launch of the industry funded Broadcast Rating Council (now Media Rating Council) with the directive to review and assess these audits, set industry standards and accredit audience measurement providers.
Among the original purposes of the MRC was to;
· Improve the quality of audience measurement available to the industry.
· To secure for the media industry and related users measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective.
· To evolve and determine minimum disclosure and ethical criteria for media measurement services.
· To provide and administer an audit system designed to inform users as to whether such measurements are conducted in conformance with the criteria and procedures developed.
MRC membership is available to any company that uses or relies on media research. Since the MRC is an independent and nonprofit organization membership fees are comparatively affordable. Currently, there are about 160 members cutting across a number of different organizations including advertisers, ad agencies, publications, radio and television owners, trade organizations, MVPDs, digital media and global companies. Each member is given one seat on the MRC Board of Directors. George W. Ivie, has been the CEO and Executive Director of the MRC since January 2000.