• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, July 8, 2009

Motivated by concern over ratings issues involving Arbitron's Portable People Meter, a passive electronic measurement device for radio, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies has joined the Media Rating Council, which oversees the accreditation process for media ratings systems.

Urging its various member agencies to join the MRC independently, the AHAA said the move would give Hispanic ad agencies a greater role in vetting media ratings methodologies. Membership in the MRC means the AHAA can participate in hearings, discussions, and audits of new and existing ratings systems; this would give it access to many of the technical details (including trade secrets) of Arbitron's PPM ratings methodology.

George Ivie, the CEO and executive director of the MRC, said the organization is "extremely pleased with AHAA's decision to become a member of MRC and make its voice heard in our process." He also praised the AHAA for "encouraging its members to independently consider membership, as this will increase their voice in our mission to secure audience estimates that are valid, reliable, and effective across all segments of the population."

Minority broadcasters have complained that Arbitron's PPM ratings system under-represents key minority demos -- especially African-American and Hispanic male adults ages 18-34 -- leading to large apparent drops in their audience sizes under PPM measurement. The broadcasters haven't been shy about seeking political allies in their dispute with Arbitron: since the controversy over PPM ratings began last year, they have enlisted the help of the Attorneys General of New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, various city councilors, and U.S. Senators and Representatives (including Barack Obama, when he was still a presidential candidate).

Most recently, in May, the FCC opened an inquiry into PPM in conjunction with Congressional hearings on the subject. However, both Arbitron and the MRC have argued that the MRC -- not the FCC -- is the appropriate organization to deal with technical disputes over media ratings. Formed at the behest of Congress in 1963 as an industry-supported alternative to direct government regulation, the MRC is funded by contributions from media companies, which agree to use MRC accreditation as a minimum standard for new ratings systems. MRC reviews are conducted in closed conferences to protect the intellectual property of ratings firms.