Content area
Full text
Eagle Creek cries foul; Nielsen: 'Read the contract'
Stung by Nielsen's delisting of his KZTV(TV) Corpus Christi, Texas, from the November ratings book, Eagle Creek Broadcasting President Brian Brady is threatening legal action. "This isn't a fight I want, but they've backed us into a corner. We have no choice but to fight.
"CBS just came off its greatest rating book in years," he says. "Clearly, it's going to affect sales. If the numbers aren't there, it makes it difficult to buy us."
Nielsen Media Research dropped KZTV from the book, alleging that its Nielsen-themed sweeps promos violated Nielsen rules. The book is due out Dec. 16.
It is only the only the second time the ratings company has dropped a station.
Brady says he is renegotiating his Nielsen contract and is balking at what he calls a hefty price increase. He claims the delisting is an attempt to gain leverage in the negotiation.
Nielsen's Jack Loftus says that the research firm has been encouraged by clients to crack down harder on sweeps stunting and that,...