Rentrak Enters L.A. With KCBS-KCAL Deal

Rentrak is providing ratings information in the nation’s second-largest market for the first time with the signing of CBS Television Stations group of KCBS (the West Coast flagship station of the CBS Television Network) and independent KCAL. The agreement includes full access to Rentrak’s Advanced Automotive Demographics, which measure television viewing tied to automobile make/model purchase behaviors. The deal follows last week’s announcement that the Fox Television Stations group signed a long-term deal with Rentrak to provide audience ratings for all of its local markets.

With the addition of KCBS and KCAL, Rentrak is now providing its services to nine CBS-owned stations in five markets. CBS Television Stations began working with Rentrak in February across four markets: Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pittsburgh.

“We are pleased to continue to grow our mutually beneficial relationship with Rentrak,” said Peter Dunn, president, CBS Television Stations. “We see a tremendous upside to KCBS and KCAL being the first stations in Los Angeles, the car-buying capital of the world, that are able to provide enhanced ratings information about the auto purchasing behavior of the consumers we reach.”

“We view being the first stations in the market with Rentrak’s Advanced Automotive Demographics as a game-changing opportunity,” said Steve Mauldin, the station’s president-GM. “We are excited to share this eye-opening research with our clients and continue to help them market their products to the high-quality audience we deliver every day.”