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Tuesday, January 25, 2005

BPA Worldwide and I/PRO Form Interactive Advisory Committee

BPA Worldwide and I/PRO Form Interactive Advisory Committee

Industry experts to advise media auditor on Web site traffic measurement and verification, advance information exchange between buyers and sellers

Shelton, CT January 25, 2005 - BPA Worldwide and strategic partner I/PRO Corp. have formed an Interactive Advisory Committee (IAC), made up of executives representing leading interactive advertisers, agencies and Web site owners.

The committee will advise BPA on issues relating to Web site traffic measurement and verification, and review and make recommendations on auditing requirements and procedures and data reporting formats. Per standard BPA rule-making practice, those recommendations will subsequently be reviewed by BPA's other worldwide committees, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors.

The committee will also act to advocate industry adoption of accurate, reliable, independent Web site traffic data; serve as a clearinghouse for advertising buyers and sellers seeking to exchange ideas and methods for advancing interactive media as advertising vehicles; and develop and implement interactive media training and professional development programs.
The IAC will meet at least twice per year, and more often as necessary. Committee members, who, like all BPA committee members, will serve on a volunteer basis, will serve three-year terms, and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Founding IAC members are: Amy Auerbach, Account Director, Media Contacts; Walter Cheruk, Director of Media, Modem Media; Robert Griffin, Media Director, Lycos; Jason Heller, CEO, Mass Transit Interactive; Caryn Herder, Program Manager-Intel Customer Success Program, CMD; Todd Horne, CEO, TEN Magazines; Stephen Kempisty, Director, Business Development, eDiets.com; John Lerner, VP, General Manager, VNU eMedia, Inc.; Stacy Malone, Media Director, McCann Erickson-A&L; Fergus O'Daly, Managing Partner, Fergus O'Daly Associates; Michael Paradiso, Worldwide Media Director, Computer Associates; David Smith, President and Media Director, Mediasmith, Inc.; Jack Smith, VP of Marketing, 24/7 Real Media, Inc.; Christine McCaffrey Trostle, Senior Director & Publisher, MicroSoft.com, MSCOM Publishing; Chris Whalen, Senior Director of Client Services, B2BWorks; John Whitmore, Associate Media Director, Performance Bridge; and Abbott Wool, Senior VP, Media and Research, GlobalWORKS/HispanicWORKS.

Currently, more than 500 Web sites (including all of the sites whose representatives are on the IAC, listed above) rely on the "BPA Audit By I/PRO" to provide media buyers with independent verification of their Web site traffic. The BPA Interactive Audit by I/PRO is based on census data, generated through server log files or page-tagging technology, and includes verification of unique visitors, visits, pages and visit length; week and time of day of distribution; audience composition; top 25 pages as viewed on the site, and other breakdowns used in making media-buying decisions.

Through a strategic agreement, BPA continually certifies I/PRO's interactive auditing process, and overlays its auditing expertise to ensure that the audit complies with Interactive Advertising Bureau methodology standards.

About BPA Worldwide A not-for-profit organization since 1931, BPA Worldwide is governed by a tripartite board comprising media owners, advertising agencies and advertisers. Headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut, USA, BPA has the largest membership of any media-auditing organization in the world, spanning more than 20 countries. Worldwide, BPA serves 3,000 media properties - including more than 2,000 B-to-B publications, more than 600 consumer magazines and newspapers, more than 300 Web sites, plus events, email newsletters, databases, wireless and other advertiser-supported media - as well as more than 2,600 advertiser and agency members. Visit www.bpaww.com for the latest audit reports, membership information and publishing and advertising industry news.

About I/PRO Corporation:In 1994, I/PRO formulated and created the original third-party Web site audit, and continues to lead the charge for accurate and unbiased Web traffic reporting. I/PRO gives media buyers the power to identify and qualify advertising opportunities on sites of any size, and allows ad sellers to more effectively compete for revenue. I/PRO currently audits over 500 Web sites. Over one trillion Web pages have been audited by I/PRO's censusbased auditing services. For more information, please visit http://www.ipro.com/.