2010 has been good to the TV business with record ratings for the Super Bowl and and NBC’s better than expected Olympics ratings. However, the 2009 revenue story for TV’s scorekeeper wasn’t as rosy.
Nielsen’s 2009 revenue was flat — albeit $4.8 billion worldwide. Operating income fell dropped 72 percent to $116 million from $421 million in 2008 mostly due to restructuring and accounting charges.
During 2009 Nielsen sold it’s EDI movie measurement service to Rentrak and a handful of B-to-B magazines in the entertainment business including Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews, Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. Additionally, Nielsen pulled the plug on radio industry bible Radio And Records last June.
In March 2009, the company announced plans to cut 1600 jobs or about five percent of its headcount.
Sources: Crain’s NY, 3/30/2009, Yahoo News, Mediabistro, 6/4/2009, NY Times 12/10/2009