Nielsen Ratings: Relevance Lost

"The networks may be crying foul over ratings delays, and Nielsen's business is under assault from all sides, but that's not stopping CEO and former GE man David Calhoun from making some money for KKR, Blackstone and Carlyle Group. Nielsen's financials have been a relative secret since it was taken private in an $12 billion deal in 2006, but Fortune squeezes out some data."



"How does the generally competent Sara Erichson, VP of sales and client services, plan to handle the general incompetence of Nielsen, the audience measure company plagued by, among other things, delays in reporting its TV data?
Like any good media conglomerate exec, she’s overseeing the snatching up other companies."



"Nielsen isn’t just playing defense against attacks from, say, benign outlets like ourselves. Rather the clients who fund its operations – and its rumored IPO hopes – are lashing out at the problem-plagued ratings service.

“Nielsen is in a fight for its relevant life,” says Tracy Scheppach, SVP of ad giant Starcom Worldwide."