Post-Newsweek commits to Rentrak as local TV currency

Post-Newsweek has been using Rentrak’s StationView Essentials data for its Houston and Miami/Fort Lauderdale stations since June last year. Coverage will now be expanded to Detroit/Windsor, Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, San Antonio and Jacksonville.

StationView Essentials uses return-path data from cable and satellite set-top boxes to measure household viewing in each of the 210 US media markets. Viewing data is linked with demographic and consumer information to produce audience profiles for stations.

Nielsen is the dominant force in US TV ratings, but Rentrak argues that its census-based approach to audience measurement has the edge on Nielsen’s sample-based approach when it comes to correctly sizing the audience for smaller, local stations.

Post-Newsweek CEO Alan Frank (pictured) said: “The industry has been waiting decades for a viable and robust competitive environment in the television measurement arena. We wanted to be the first of many station groups to comprehensively support Rentrak’s efforts.”