A cousin of the custom research supplier is the syndicated research firm. these firms provide expertise in a particular area, but, rather than perform proprietary customized research and consultation, they collect and sell the same information to all companies that pay the subscription fee. Advertising agencies are generally interested in four types of syndicated information: media ratings, target audience media usage and demographics, advertising expenditures, and consumer trends.
Media usage is monitored by several different companies. Publishers' statements regarding newspaper and magazine circulation are audited and verified by the Audit Bureau of circulation (ABC). The A.C. Nielsen Company provides local and national television ratings. Radio usage is measured by Arbitron and RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research), while Yellow Pages usage is provided by the National Yellow Pages Monitor (NYPM).