On the eve of today's shareholders meeting, dissident investor Eric Knight Monday said he has received support from more than 70 percent of VNU's shareholder to block the Dutch company's $9 billion
plus sales to a group of private equity firms. Knight, chairman of Knight Vinke Asset Management, has opposed the deal and has advocate an alternative proposal in which VNU sells only a partial stake,
and find other ways of increasing shareholder value. VNU is the parent of Nielsen Media Research, ACNielsen and various trade publications.