Hawaii ABC-affiliate KITV as well as its second digital channel, “MeTV,” have chosen Oregon-based Rentrak to provide audience measurement data after a decades-long relationship with Nielsen.

KITV President and General Manager Joe McNamara was not able to comment on the deal earlier this month, but now that the agreement is signed, said company officials feel “the time is right for KITV to adopt Rentrak’s measurement currency.”

“Rentrak’s stable daily demographics and advanced ratings give us the powerful tools we need to provide our advertisers with the best and most relevant audience information available every day of the year,” he said in a statement released today.

The parent company of Hawaii News Now, Alabama-based Raycom Media, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in November that the ongoing ratings period with Nielsen would be its last. Hawaii News Now stations include CBS-affiliate KGMB-TV, NBC-affiliate KHNL-TV, and independent KFVE-TV. Officials cited concerns that Nielsen’s technology and sample sizes have not kept pace with changing media consumption habits.

As of mid-November, management of KHON-TV had no plans to part company with Nielsen, long regarded as the leader in broadcast audience measurement. KHON is Hawaii’s FOX affiliate, while its second digital channel airs programming from TheCW network.