Rentrak to Seek MRC Accreditation

US multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak is working towards Media Rating Council (MRC) approval for its TV Essentials audience measurement service. If it succeeds, the firm claims it will be the first to gain accreditation for a product based on set-top-box (STB) data.

Rentrak's second-by-second TV Essentials service was previously based on STB data from 2 million AT&T U-verse homes in 36 markets. However, since February, the firm has integratedthis service with TV viewing data from satellite firm DISH Network's 14 million subscribers.

Within the next few months, the firm expects TV Essentials' coverage to reach 17 million sets in homes served by Dish, AT&T and Charter Communications.

According to Chief Research Officer Bruce Goerlich, Rentrak could possibly make the submission to the MRC as early as the autumn.

Web site: www.rentrak.com .