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Career Moves: October 11, 2006

Authored by dmw on October 11, 2006 - 9:02am.
CNET Networks today announced that its board of directors has unanimously appointed Neil Ashe as the company's new Chief Executive Officer and Director effective immediately. Co-founder Shelby Bonnie has resigned as Chairman and CEO. Since joining CNET in 2002, Ashe has led the company's content expansion strategy, including numerous acquisitions. The company also announced that Jarl Mohn has been named Non-Executive Chairman of CNET’s board of directors. Bonnie resigns due to the options scandal that has shaken the company.
News story from Bloomberg
www.cnet.com
tags: Career | Moves | CNET | THQ | VNU | McAfee | Greycroft | Interep |

Billboard Parent VNU Acquires Trade Paper Radio & Records

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 6, 2006 - 4:45pm.
Haarlem, Netherlands - VNU, the Netherlands-based global information and media company that owns Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and other trade publications, announced on Thursday that it has acquired radio industry trade magazine Radio & Records.
tags: Deals | Radio | Investing | Publishing | VNU | Radio & Records | Acquistions |

VNU Agrees to $9 Billion Bid by Private-Equity Firms

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 8, 2006 - 4:23am.
Amsterdam - VNU, currently the largest market-research firm in the world and publisher of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, announced that it has agreed to be acquired by a group of private-equity firms for $9 billion in cash. The Dutch firm accepted the offer after the group -- which includes Alpinvest, Blackstone, Carlyle, Hellman & Friedman, Kohlberg Kravis Robertsand Thomas H Lee -- increased its bid from about $33.40 per share to $34.30 per share. Fidelity International, a Dutch business-information group and one of VNU's largest shareholders, said it was unlikely to support the offer, however. The bid requires support from 95% of VNU's shareholders for approval.
tags: Deals | VC | VNU | Private-Equity |

Private-Equity Firms Finalizing Bid for VNU, Report Says

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 27, 2006 - 10:40am.
Amsterdam - According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, a group of seven private-equity firms is preparing a $8.6 billion bid for VNU, the Netherlands-based media firm that owns the Nielsen ratings service, in addition to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. The report said the group includes AlpInvest Partners of the Netherlands, Permira Advisers of the U.K., Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group, Hellman & Friedman, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and ThomasH. Lee Partners.
tags: Report | VNU | Private-Equity Firms | Bid | Finalize |

VNU to Buy Majority Stake in Media Analytics Firm BuzzMetrics

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 20, 2006 - 2:47am.
Amsterdam - VNU NV, the Netherlands-based publisher of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, and currently the largest market-research firm in the world, announced that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in BuzzMetrics, a New York-based media analytics firm. VNU said the deal, for which financial terms were not disclosed, would enhance its media-measurement capabilities and extend its reach into the "fast-growing sphere" of consumer-generated media, such as blogs and public message boards. Under the terms of the deal, VNU will acquire a 50.1% stake in BuzzMetrics, which today agreed to merge with Intelliseek, a Cincinnati-based consumer-generated media analytics firm.
tags: VNU | Stake | BuzzMetrics |

Private Equity Firms in Talks to Acquire Media Group VNU

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 17, 2006 - 3:01am.
Amsterdam - VNU NV, a Netherlands-based media and market-research firm, announced that it is in talks to be acquired by a group of some of the largest private-equity firms in the world. The group -- comprising the Carlyle Group, the Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Thomas H. Lee Partners, AlpInvest Partners, Permira and Hellman & Friedman -- is understood to have made an $8.8 billion offer for VNU, which owns the Nielsen TV and Internet ratings business. VNU, having "gauged the level of interest of certain other parties", said it was not in talks with any other company.
tags: VNU | Talks | Private | Media Group |

VNU, Digital Media Wire to Host Digital Entertainment & Media Expo

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 21, 2005 - 8:47am.
Los Angeles -- VNU, publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and Adweek Magazines, announced on Thursday that it has partnered with Digital Media Wire to produce a two-day digital media conference. The 2005 Digital Entertainment and Media Expo (DEMXPO) will be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Westin Century Plaza in Los Angeles. "With today's content evolving into next-generation digital entertainment, we are looking forward to continuing our thought leadership at DEMXPO as a leading provider of news and information about this growing market," said Hollywood Reporter editor-in-chief and publisher Bob Dowling. The DEMXPO conference will cover technological, strategic, legal and marketing issues of interest to the digital media industry, while the event will culminate with the DEMY Awards -- recognizing recent achievements in digital film, music, gaming, wireless and marketing. "Billboard and Digital Media Wire created a very successful event with last year's Digital Entertainment Conference and Awards," said Billboard president and publisher John Kilcullen. "We are excited to work with The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, and Nielsen Entertainment to evolve that conference into this powerhouse event that the market has been asking for."
tags: Digital Media Wire | VNU | Host | Digital Entertainment & Media Expo |

Nielsen Parent VNU, Britain's WPP Partner for Intl. TV Ratings Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 5, 2004 - 3:29am.
London -- WPP, an international communications services provider, announced on Thursday that its Kantar consultancy division has partnered with VNU, parent company of Nielsen Media Research, to form a joint venture that will offer television ratings in 30 countries. AGB Nielsen Media Research will serve the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East in nations including Australia, Belgium, China, Hungary, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the Ukraine and the U.K. The new company will be based out of Milan, Italy and will employ a total of 1,800.
tags: Deals | Nielsen | VNU | Britain's WPP | Intl. TV | Ratings Service |