The Media Rating Council (MRC) was founded in 1964 as an outgrowth of congressional hearings, with the mandate of auditing and accrediting audience measurement companies in the US. They accredit Nielsen TV ratings, Arbitron radio ratings, MRI’s magazine ratings, and Scarborough’s newspaper ratings, among others. comScore has been working with the MRC and their auditor for over a year, first going through the formal pre-audit process, then scoping and defining the audit phase. Last week, we announced that we have contracted with the MRC to commence the formal audit of the Media Metrix service.

An MRC audit and subsequent accreditation is generally seen as assuring users that the measurement company provides full transparency and disclosure. It does that, but it does more: MRC accreditation assures users that the measurement company maintains a commitment to striving for the highest quality methods and procedures in producing its information. comScore’s entry into the MRC audit process signals an important stage in the evolution of the company—and of the Internet itself as an advertising medium.