Nielsen Takeover Costs Dent Arbitron Income

Ratings giant Arbitron has reported second quarter net income of $7.1m, compared with $10m in the prior year period, after incurring $6.1m of costs and expenses related to its pending acquisition by Nielsen.

If it receives the go ahead, the $1.26 billion deal, which was first announced last December, will add radio ratings to Nielsen's 'Watch' segment's cross-screen audience measurement.

Arbitron has reported a 2.9% increase in second quarter revenue to $107.4m, although costs and expenses for the second quarter 2013 were $100.0m, an increase of $6.2m compared with Q2 2012.

For the six months ended June 30, 2013, revenue was up $8.4m to $219.2m, while net income fell from $27.8m to $23.3m. Costs and expenses were $181.4m, compared with $169.0m in 2012, and included $9.4m in costs related to the pending Nielsen transaction.

President and CEO Sean Creamer (pictured) commented: 'In the second quarter, we maintained focus on our long term priorities: investing in and growing our core radio services, evaluating and implementing quality initiatives to enhance the value and utility of our offerings, and exploring emerging opportunities with an emphasis on those that allow us to highlight the power and advantages of radio.'

Web site: www.arbitron.com .