The Media Rating Council pulled accreditation for seven Nielsen Audio diary markets covering the audited period July 1 through September 30, 2025, according to a memo from MRC chief executive George Ivie.
The affected markets are Bryan–College Station, Hudson Valley, Killeen–Temple, Midland–Odessa, Portsmouth–Dover–Rochester, Reno, and Trenton. The council did not cite specific reasons. Several of the markets feature complex listening patterns and geographic overlap with larger metros, such as Hudson Valley’s ties to New York and Poughkeepsie, Portsmouth’s proximity to Boston, and Trenton’s adjacency to Philadelphia.
Nielsen said it respects the MRC process but emphasized that its data remain usable as industry currency until the next ratings cycle. The company noted that the accreditation change does not take effect until winter 2026, when Fall 2025 survey results are delivered, and that data currently available for these markets remain fully accredited. Nielsen added that audio buyers and sellers continue to transact on its currency and reiterated a commitment to accuracy and reliability in each market.
The company also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve diary participation and data quality through mSurvey, e-screeners, and digital incentive programs, describing a broader initiative of continuous improvement across services.
The same MRC report included other platform decisions: accreditation was withdrawn from Meta’s monetization and brand-safety measurement systems, Snap’s display and video reporting was denied accreditation, and new accreditations were granted to Protected Media and to Walmart Connect’s Sponsored Products service for display, video, and search metrics across desktop, mobile, and app environments.