As we look on the past decade, it’s hard to ignore the significant role that mergers and acquisitions have played in shaping the industry landscape. A monumental example of this is the acquisition of Arbitron Inc. by Nielsen Holdings N.V. more than ten years ago. This merger, approved by an overwhelming majority of shareholders, paved the way for a new era in the media and marketing research space. Join us as we revisit this landmark event and delve into its implications for the industry, a decade on.
Arbitron Inc. Acquisition by Nielsen Holdings N.V.
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) over a decade ago that at the company’s special meeting of stockholders, shareholders voted to approve the acquisition of the company by Nielsen Holdings N.V. Approximately 98.99 percent of the shares voting at the special meeting of stockholders voted in favor of the agreement and plan of merger. These shares represented approximately 77.11 percent of total outstanding shares of Arbitron common stock as of the record date for the special meeting, which was March 8, 2013.
The Deal Details
As on December 18, 2012, Arbitron Inc. and Nielsen Holdings N.V. entered into a definitive agreement for Nielsen to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Arbitron for $48.00 per share in cash. The transaction was subject to certain regulatory approvals, including expiration of the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust waiting period, and customary closing conditions.
Compensation Approval
The proposal to approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to Arbitron named executive officers in connection with the merger and the agreements and understandings pursuant to which such compensation may be paid or become payable was approved by 87.86 percent of the shares voted at the special meeting, representing approximately 68.44 percent of the outstanding shares of the company’s common stock. At the meeting, approximately 9.55 percent of shares voted against this proposal.
About Arbitron
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) was an international media and marketing research firm serving the media—radio, television, cable, and out-of-home; the mobile industry as well as advertising agencies and advertisers around the world. Arbitron’s businesses included: measuring network and local market radio audiences the United States; surveying the retail, media, and product patterns of U.S. consumers; providing mobile audience measurement and analytics in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and developing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The company developed the Portable People Meter ‘ (PPM ®) and the PPM 360’, new technologies for media and marketing research.
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