• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 24, 2011

Nielsen's TV measurement service in Puerto Rico has received accreditation by the Media Rating Council following its April 2010 launch. Nielsen said the three principal stations in the U.S. territory and some agencies solicited it to launch a ratings service two years ago.

Nielsen uses its UNITAM metering system in Puerto Rico (and other markets outside the U.S.) which relies on sampling methodology deployed in the U.S., audio signature tracking technology and infrared detection. A 500-home sample in Puerto Rico allows for overnight ratings with demographic information attached.

Nielsen says it has 22 clients across six regions in the U.S. territory.

The MRC accreditation process involves an audit of a system to gauge its reliability and effectiveness.

"An exciting development and an important endorsement" is how Victor Vazquez, who oversees Nielsen's Puerto Rican operations, described the MRC result.

Stations in Puerto Rico include NBC Universal-owned WKAQ and three Univision-owned outlets. The Caribbean Broadcasting Network owns ABC, CW and Fox outlets.

Pay-TV systems include a cable company owned by Liberty Global, which serves 81,000 homes, and satellite TV through DirecTV's Latin American operation and Dish Network. The island has about 4 million residents.