Nielsen Holdings NV, the largest provider of television viewership ratings, will now dominate radio listening ratings as well.Nielsen on Tuesday struck a deal to acquire its radio counterpart, Arbitron Inc, for $1.26 billion. The deal creates a powerhouse that places the measurement of audience for TV and radio under the control of one company.The $48-per-share purchase price represents a 26 percent premium to Arbitron's Monday closing price on the New York Stock Exchange. News of the deal sent Arbitron shares up 23.6 percent to $47.02 on Tuesday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange. Nielsen shares were up 2.6 percent at $30.38.Ratings - Nielsen's in TV and Arbitron's in radio - help determine how much advertisers are charged to run commercials during TV programs and radio listening hours. The higher the rating, the more people there are watching and listening. That translates into a higher price for a commercial spot.
Arbitron Inc. (Arbitron) is a media and marketing information services firm primarily serving radio, advertisers, advertising agencies, cable and broadcast television, retailers, out-of-home media, online media, mobile media, telecommunications providers, and print media. Shares of ARB traded higher by 23.58% or $8.97/share to $47.01. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $32.34 and as high as $39.98. On average, 109140 shares of ARB exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 13866418.
Nielsen Holdings N.V. is a global information and measurement company. Shares of NLSN traded higher by 3.11% or $0.92/share to $30.54. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $25.02 and as high as $32.07. On average, 1191210 shares of NLSN exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 5296657.
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