MRC Accredits 5 More PPM Markets, Removes San Francisco

Nielsen announced today that it has been granted accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for five additional PPM Audio markets including Columbus, Ohio, Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, N.C., Indianapolis, Ind., Jacksonville, Fla., and Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah.

This brings the total to 30 PPM audio markets out of 48 that are accredited by the MRC for Nielsen Audio’s monthly Average Quarter Hour Ratings.

“We congratulate Nielsen for meeting the rigorous requirements necessary to extend MRC accreditation for its PPM monthly Average Quarter Hour estimates to these five additional radio markets,” said MRC Executive Director and CEO George W. Ivie. “This outcome evidences Nielsen’s commitment to continuous improvement, and we look forward to continuing our work with Nielsen as it strives to meet the needs of the industry by ultimately earning MRC accreditation for all audio markets that are part of the PPM service.”

Nielsen remains the trusted currency for the U.S. audio marketplace. Nielsen’s continuous quality improvement program is focused across all markets, accredited and non-accredited. Nielsen will work to build on this momentum by continuing to work with the MRC and clients to achieve and retain accreditation in all PPM markets.

Brad Kelly, Managing Director for Nielsen Audio said, “We are pleased to have achieved MRC accreditation in these additional markets. This demonstrates our continued commitment to quality for the industry’s gold standard audio measurement and it helps enhance our client’s confidence in the currency.”

In today’s fragmented media landscape, marketers and advertisers increasingly value advertising that delivers broad reach. Audio is the top weekly reach medium, with 93% of U.S. adults listening to radio every week.

On a final note, the MRC board also voted to remove accreditation of the San Francisco PPM Audio market. Nielsen stands behind the estimates produced for San Francisco and will continue to work with the MRC and clients to regain accreditation in this market.