Nielsen Media Research Wins TV Ratings Contract in Sweden; Swedish Industry Renews For Another Seven Years

Business Wire, June 17, 2004

STOCKHOLM -- Nielsen Media Research, the world's leading multinational media research company and unit of VNU N.V., announced today that it has won a new, seven-year contract to provide television audience ratings in Sweden. The contract takes effect from September 2005 and runs through to August 2012.

Nielsen said the Swedish industry television company, Mediamatning I Skandinavien AB (MMS), which is owned by all the major TV companies and media agencies in Sweden, awarded the contract following a thorough evaluation of Nielsen Media Research and other service providers. Nielsen Media Research has provided TV ratings in Sweden to MMS since 1993.

"We had excellent submissions for this tender, and we took great care in evaluating them to find the best TV Audience Measurement System in the world," said Hans Oberg, CEO of MMS. "Overall, Nielsen, who is our present supplier, provided the best solution. As the television viewing environment becomes ever more complex and more challenging to measure, we are pleased to be continuing our relationship with Nielsen."

"Against stiff competition, Nielsen presented us with a highly compelling case to retain the television audience measurement contract for Sweden," Oberg continued. "Nielsen demonstrated to us an all-round ability to successfully evolve television audience measurement in Sweden, recognising the technological challenges that lie ahead. It is imperative for the Swedish television industry that we are able to keep pace with the way peoples' viewing is changing, and that viewing on all platforms is measured correctly. We have absolutely no doubt that Nielsen will continue to provide this service to the very high standard that it has done in Sweden since 1993."

Robert L. McCann, Chairman and CEO of Nielsen Media Research International said, "We are extremely pleased with this decision, the clear message it sends about the quality of our services, and the fact that we will be able to extend what has been a highly successful, 10-year-plus partnership with the Swedish broadcast industry. The decision reaffirms the faith and trust the industry places in our service, and underscores our unwavering commitment to providing the highest-quality, most reliable TV audience information possible - in Sweden and around the world."

According to Charles Fulton, Managing Director Europe of Nielsen Media Research, "The Swedish television industry required a service with the flexibility to meet its changing needs in the coming years. As our relationship has shown over the past decade, Nielsen Media Research proved to be just the company they were looking for."

Under the new agreement, Nielsen Media Research will introduce a comprehensive range of measures, which will continue to protect the sound Television Ratings currency that has already been established in Sweden, through the lifetime of the new contract. In particular these include:

a) An enhanced sample design with a 20% larger sample, bringing the reporting sample up to 1,200 homes

b) Advanced, non-intrusive metering which includes the new Nielsen S6000 meter

c) New measurement technologies founded on the proprietary Nielsen Active/Passive system.

"Our focus has been to offer greater reliability of reporting for smaller audiences; encourage improved panel compliance and to provide the most complete digital measurement available," Fulton stated. "Also, the industry's decision to renew with Nielsen means that broadcasters, advertisers and agencies will have an uninterrupted service through to at least 2012, making continuous trend analysis possible during and after the transition to the new contract."

Nielsen Media Research is part of the VNU Media Measurement & Information Group, the global leader in information services for the media and entertainment industries. Active in more than 40 major markets worldwide, and powered by leading-edge technology and specialised expertise, the Group serves the information and marketing needs of the television and radio industries, advertisers, agencies, media planners, music companies, publishers, motion-picture studios, distributors and exhibitors, and the Internet industry. The Media Measurement & Information Group is part of VNU, one of the world's leading media and information companies. VNU employs more than 38,000 people and has annual revenues of approximately euro 3.9 billion.