In non-Google or YouTube related news, VNU, the owner of
Adweek,
The Hollywood Reporter and Nielsen's family of media-research companies, yesterday bought out the remaining stake in
Internet market research firm NetRatings, Inc. The Dutch holding company already owns 60.5 percent of the New York-based firm, which monitors Internet traffic under the combined brand
Nielsen/NetRatings. VNU offered to pay $16 per share to acquire the minority interest of NetRatings, which has about 36 million shares outstanding. VNU is owned by a group of private-equity investors,
including Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Shares of NetRatings rose 16 percent on the news to $16.91 in 4 p.m. composite trading. It's unclear whether the full
acquisition of NetRatings will affect the Internet media company's brand name.
Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal (by subscription) »
