MUMBAI: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) appears to be reaching the final stretch of putting together its vendors for its TV ratings measurement system. Today, it issued another Request for Proposal (RFPs) - this time for Playout Monitoring and Database Systems.

BARC has stated that it could have its house in order by October 2014, and would start churning out its ratings by then.

BARC had earlier on 2 February issued the RFP for Design, Quality Control and Analytics. According to sources, about eight RFPs from national and international players have been received by BARC so far.

“In fact, we had started getting a few RFPs for Playout Monitoring and Database Systems even before we announced the RFPs,” the sources said but declined to give names of companies which have submitted their proposals so far.

The vendors for Design, Quality Control and Analytics will be responsible for designing the panel, ensuring highest standards of quality and applying correct weights and relevant statistical rigour at cell levels to generate final data for subscribers

French audience measurement company Médiamétrie, which has been named as BARC’s ratings partner, will also be BARC’s official technology partner. Médiamétrie will licence to BARC its TV metering system.