• July 25, 2005

Major players in the TV ratings debate are expected to testify before Congress Wednesday as part of a hearing for bills introduced in the Senate and the House that would create a law regulating TV ratings methods and oversight. A list of testifiers was expected to be completed by the end of day Friday, but speakers were not disclosed. An executive familiar with the hearings said at least one representative from the American Association of Advertising Agencies was expected to deliver testimony that included "anti-MRC sentiment." The Media Rating Council is the industry's self-regulating authority for TV ratings methods, and was created in the 1960s after Congress investigated TV ratings following the game show scandals. How new legislation would impact the MRC's authority is still unclear, though some observers believe it could give the council more leverage in dealing with rogue media ratings suppliers. -- J.M.