VNU, the Netherlands-based parent of Nielsen, and trade publications like
Adweek,
Billboard and
The Hollywood Reporter, Tuesday announced plans to form a joint venture with tech
publisher IDG, which would merge their publishing operations in France. The new company, with combined annual revenues of about $39 million, will operate independently with VNU and IDG each having a
50 percent share. The proposed deal is the latest in a succession of joint-ventures formed recently by VNU, mainly on the research front, and comes amid speculation that company plans to minimize its
publishing holdings and expand its presence in marketing and media research services.
