Nielsen Seeks MRC 'Hiatus' during Audio Diary Updates

Nielsen has informed clients that Media Rating Council accreditation for its Nielsen Audio diary service has been placed on hiatus for six months, ending just before Christmas. The ratings giant wants the recess in order to focus on updating some of its methodology.

The MRC's processes allow for the suspension of accreditation following agreement between the awarding body and a service provider, with such overhauls in mind. However Nielsen's previous request for hiatus, in August '21, following claims it had underreported data during the pandemic, was unsuccessful, with the MRC Board voting less than three weeks later in favor of suspending the accreditation and removing the hiatus designation.

The latest Nielsen note to clients said the period of suspension would enable it to push through advances in three main areas, according to MediaPost, Innovative Recruitment and Improved Representation - including digital tools mSurvey and eScreener, and the integration of survey panels from third-party partners to reach listeners beyond traditional mail recruitment; Modern Data Collection, with a new, rapid digital survey designed to combat 'survey fatigue', and Responsive Digital Design, in order to respond to participant's inputs in real time.

Nielsen stressed that clients 'day-to-day ability to transact on Nielsen currency remains completely unchanged,' and that the hiatus will have no impact on its portable people meter services for Audio or TV.

Web site: www.nielsen.com . Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao is pictured.