When Nielsen acquired Arbitron for $1.26 billion, Nielsen officials predicted that shareholders would see some $20 million in savings from so-called “synergies” after the deal closed.
The savings are more like $45 million, Nielsen has told the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is merging the former Arbitron Maryland processing operations with Nielsen’s existing Florida facility.
In advance of the company’s May 9 shareholder’s meeting, Nielsen noted the audience research firm “continued to expand our measurement of what consumers buy in developing markets.” It added that it had “a presence in 42 of Africa’s 50 countries, expanded into additional countries such as Myanmar and continued to grow our presence in countries such as China and India, particularly with the local client base.”
Nielsen told the SEC the company extended its “advertiser solutions global expansion” which includes TV, online and mobile measurement.
Also, the Nielsen board of directors is raising CEO Mitch Barns’ base salary from $800,000 to $1 million.
