NDTV files fresh appeal against Nielsen

New Delhi Television (NDTV) has filed fresh legal papers against global research agency Nielsen on account of the TV ratings service it runs in India with global advertising powerhouse WPP under TAM Media Research.

The papers were issued last week with a New York state supreme court appealing against its decision earlier this year to dismiss its $1 billion suit against Nielsen and WPP. This time, however, it has named only Nielsen group companies in the appeal, whereas earlier it had included both in its suit.

While dismissing the suit, the New York court had then said that NDTV�۪s claim and complaint should be filed and contested in Indian courts where TAM, the Nielsen-WPP joint venture is based and not in New York.

NDTV�۪s nine month old lawsuit states that it has lost hundred of millions of dollars in ad revenues on account of the inaccuracies in TAM�۪s TV ratings service in India and that it needs to be compensated for the loss. It had alleged that TAM staff took bribes in exchange for overstating ratings.

Extracts from IndianTelevision