VNU Strengthens Nielsen Press Team

Karen Watson has joined VNU as Senior Vice President, Communications for Nielsen and for the Media Measurement and Information (MMI) Group. Watson served last year on the Independent Task Force on Television Measurement, and is a former Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the Federal Communications Commission.

Her role will place particular emphasis on overall press relations, external communications, marketing support and communication to clients. She reports to Jack Loftus, Chief Communications Officer, and is based in New York.

Watson brings to Nielsen and the MMI Group more than 25 years of experience in media relations, marketing, public affairs and government relations. She spent the last ten years at Echostar Satellite, most recently as Vice President, Government Relations, opening the firm's Washington, D.C. office and developing its legislative and regulatory strategy, as well as directing its media and public relations activities. Prior to this, she was Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 1994-1996.

Other previous roles include Deputy Project Director at WGBH, from 1992-1994, for the production of the primetime PBS series Africans in America; Press Secretary for the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control of the U.S. House of Representatives; and other positions in news and public affairs.

Watson holds a B.A. in American Studies from Bard College in New York. She also serves as a Board Member for the Southern Center for International Studies in Atlanta.

Susan D. Whiting, President and CEO of Nielsen Media Research, comments: ;Nielsen and MMI are responding to the dramatic changes in the way people watch television by providing a wider array of media measurement services than ever before. At this important transitional period, it is important that we communicate extensively with clients, the media and the public. Karen Watson is a savvy strategist and a talented communicator. She understands our business from her service on the Independent Task Force on Television Measurement and is a tremendous addition to our team.'

Nielsen Media Research is online at www.nielsenmedia.com , and VNU is at www.vnu.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

• Nielsen Media Research
• All news