One More Thing:After many months of negotiations and threats of a breakaway, an improved audience measurement system for television ratings has finally been agreed.

Starting next month, the current pool of homes used for the Nielsen ratings system will be widened from 670 to more than 1,000.

The move is aimed at capturing more accurate data for television viewing, especially on digital channels, and was long sought by Sky, Setanta Sports and Channel 6.

At one point, these stations threatened to launch a rival ratings service.

Channel 6, the new kid on the block, was a particularly vocal critic of the old system claiming that its share of the audience was declining, according to Nielsen's figures, when the opposite was actually the case.

The ratings system was previously managed by RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 with the data bought by the other channels.

Under the new arrangement, Sky, Setanta and Channel 6 will have a greater say in how the ratings system is run.

Ratings are crucial for television stations when selling advertising and Sky, Setanta and Channel 6 felt that the old system did not properly reflect their shares of the market.

The costs of the system are also set to expand.

About €1 million will be added to the current €2.4 million a year costs with the various stations and advertising agencies chipping in to the pot.