The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), which is India’s authority on television ratings, has partnered with three international agencies to improve audience measurement for digital media.

“BARC (India), Médiamétrie (France), Numeris (Canada) and Video Research (Japan) will collaborate on future audience measurement initiatives, including the development of common technical standards and operational processes, in order to benefit the existing currency services that each member operates in their respective market,” BARC said in a statement on Wednesday.

The four founding nations collectively account for a total population of over 1.5 billion and represent a combined advertising spend of $78 billion (15 per cent of the worldwide total).

Global impact

Audience measurement systems worldwide have been evolving to meet the emerging needs of the industry. Rapid advancements in technology are reshaping both the distribution as well as the consumption of content. These changes have a global impact, given the true nature of digital media.

Brad Bedford, a veteran audience measurement executive, has been appointed the Global Managing Director of the Gamma Broadcasting which aims to leverage the knowledge and sector expertise of members to advance audience measurement solutions worldwide.

Through closer co-operation, the participants intend to identify strategies and solutions that are more transparent and standardised.

“Audience measurement across the world needs to constantly innovate to keep pace with emerging trends. We are open to learning from our global counterparts and this international alliance offers a tremendous platform to not only learn from our peers, but also to contribute,” said Partho Dasgupta, CEO, BARC India.

“As in every other field, audience measurement needs to cater to changing media behaviours. Partnering with television, internet and radio professionals for decades has allowed Médiamétrie to develop unique technological and methodological expertise in audience measurement”, added Bruno Chetaille, Chairman and CEO, Médiamétrie.

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