The Wall Street Journal reports that in the wake of VNU's failed attempt to acquire IMS Health Inc., disgruntled shareholders may press for a breakup of the company or, more dramatically, set
itself up for a takeover. The Dutch media behemoth has been caught in a shareholder revolt for weeks: Many were opposed to the IMS deal from the start, thinking it was fundamentally not good
business. And when the transaction crumbled, they were reportedly pleased that VNU's chief executive, Rob van den Bergh, agreed to resign as soon as a successor could be found. VNU owns a
diversity of media properties, including Nielsen Media Research,
Billboard magazine, and the
Hollywood Reporter. The future of VNU remains unclear. Some parties believe its value
could best be unlocked if it were sold to another company with a stronger, more focused management, while others, including shareholders, think the firm should be broken apart. The Nielsen
components alone, they argue, are undervalued within the current corporate structure.
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