Nielsen's Concessions End Fight With Univision

Univision Communications Inc. and Nielsen Media Research Inc. have dropped lawsuits against each other over the rollout of Nielsen's controversial "personal people meters," which critics said undercount the size of minority television audiences. In a joint release yesterday, Nielsen -- the only company that sells television ratings -- and Univision -- the largest Spanish-language media firm in the United States -- said Univision will no longer attempt to block use of the meters in Los Angeles, the nation's largest Hispanic media market. Nielsen agreed to drop a countersuit. Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language broadcaster, said Nielsen's "personal people meters" would undercount viewers in Hispanic homes. "The major legal hurdle is gone," said Nielsen spokesman Jack Loftus. The people meter is a device designed to record what channels are being watched at any time. Individual family members identify who is watching a particular show by punching a button on a remote control. [more]