Competition Bureau fine-tunes BBM-Nielsen merger

Ottawa, June 23, 2006 — The Competition Bureau filed a consent agreement today with the Competition Tribunal resolving potential competition concerns arising from the merger of the electronic television audience measurement (TAM) operations of BBM Canada and Nielsen Media Research Limited.

Under the agreement, the new corporation will undergo independent audits of many of its processes to ensure its members benefit from quality services. The audits will provide members with access to impartial and complete information required to determine whether the new services meet their needs or whether the system requires improvement.

The Bureau conducted a detailed review of the merger, consulting broadcasters, advertisers, and advertising agencies. It found strong industry support for the creation of a standard TAM system in Canada, the norm in the United States, Britain and Australia.

The Bureau also concluded that the transaction would likely result in a decrease in the overall cost of TAM services for the majority of purchasers since the merger creates a corporation that will pass on savings to its members. While the basic gathering of TAM data will be consolidated, both BBM and Nielsen remain free to competitively market additional products and services.