As lawmakers on Capitol Hill mulled the proposed bill to regulate TV ratings, a couple of major groups from the advertising industry announced their opposition to the Burns bill. The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) Media Policy Committee said making Media Ratings Council accreditation mandatory for TV ratings companies "would undermine the basis of the current self-regulatory system" and quoted the Chair of the FTC in noting that self regulation can be more prompt, flexible and effective than government involvement. "There is nothing to suggest that responsible self-regulation cannot continue to work going forward," said the letter signed by executives of 25 ad agencies. Also, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) issued a statement opposing the bill. "We believe the current voluntary accreditation process with MRC involvement is effective," said the ANA, adding, "This proposed bill would slow the introduction of new technology and create barriers to entry for new ratings services and for new products within those services." Arbitron also announced its opposition to the bill, saying it "would establish a new and permanent regulatory process that would negatively impact the media and marketing research industry."

Just in case you haven't been keeping your own list of who is opposed to the Burns Bill, Nielsen Media Research has supplied one:

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Below is a list of people and organizations who sent letters to Congress opposing TV ratings regulation.

TV Executives:

- Debra Lee, President and COO, BET

- Charles W. Thurston, President, Comcast Spotlight

- Geraldine B. Laybourne, Chairman and CEO, Oxygen Network

- Michael Sherman, General Manager, KTSF-TV in San Francisco (Asian American-targeted station)

- Johnathan Rodgers, President and CEO, TV One

- Don Jackson, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Central City Productions

- Byron Lewis, Chairman and CEO, Uniworld Group

- Robert Hyland, President of Television, Una Vez Mas, Azteca America Affiliate Group

- George Takei, Television Actor, "Star Trek," Member of the Independent Task Force on Television Measurement

- Warrington Hudlin, Independent Filmmaker

- Glenn Holterhauss, President Managing Partner, WSKY - TV in Norfolk (IND)

- Jacob R. Miles III, CEO, Urban Television Network Corporation

- Frank Badam, Badami Productions

The Advertising Community:

- American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) Media Policy Committee (includes 25 ad agency representatives)

- Wallace S. Snyder, President and CEO, American Advertising Federation (AAF)

- Bob Liodice, Association of National Advertisers (ANA)

- Bill Imada, President Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF)

- Manuel E. Machado, past Chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA)

- Jon Mandel, Chief Global Buying Officer, MediaCom Worldwide (New York)

- Robert Frydlewicz, Research Director of Carat NA

- Jean Pool, EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Universal McCann (New York)

- Kate Sirkin, EVP Global Research Director, Starcom MediaVest Group (Chicago)

- Jim Kite, EVP, Director of Research Insight and Accountability, MediaVest Worldwide (New York)

- Rick Pike, SVP Media Director, Inter/Media Time Buying Corp (Los Angeles)

- Pam Bentz, Executive VP, Milner Butcher Media Group LLC (Los Angeles)

- Jim Gaither, Director of Broadcast, The Richards Group (Dallas)

- Tom Kalahar, CEO, Camelot Communications, Ltd (Dallas)

- James Schiefer, COO, Schiefer Media, Inc (Costa Mesa, CA)

- Charlie Rutman, Chief Executive Officer, Media Planning Group, LLC

- Nina Kanter, Director, Communications Analyses, Media Planning Group, LLC

- Bill McOwen, Executive VP Managing Director National Broadcast, Media Planning Group, LLC

- Phyllis Maguire, Executive VP Managing Director Local Broadcast, Media Planning Group, LLC

Community Leaders:

- Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr, Founder and President, Rainbow Push Coalition

- Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League

- Dorothy Height, Chair, Executive Committee, National Council of Negro Women

- Chairwoman Cardiss Collins, Independent Task Force on Television Measurement

- Lawrence Parks, Chair, Potomac Coalition

- Representative Diane Watson (CA)

- Eric Garcetti, Councilmember, 13th District, City of Los Angeles

- Jonathan M. Sanchez, Associate Publisher, COO, Eastern Group Publications, Inc

- Ray Durazo, member of the Task Force and President of the Latin Business Association