In a surprise move, digital TV set-top derived TV ratings service Rentrak this morning announced it will no longer use the term “census-like” to describe the audience estimates it produces. The company indicated the decision was due to some “consultation” with media industry ratings watchdog and de facto self-regulator the Media Rating Council, which apparently determined that the term census misrepresented the kind of ratings Rentrak produces, even though they come directly from the the set-tops of TV viewers in the universe they cover. In its statement, Rentrak said it was “redefining the terms” it uses to describe its national and local TV audience measurement services because of the MRC, and would now refer to them simply as, “Rentrak Local” and “Rentrak National.” Whether they are local or national, Rentrak’s total database of TV usage is derived from a panel of 13 million “return-path” TV homes, including 29 million TV sets.