Sunbeam Drops Charges Against Nielsen

In the US, Sunbeam Television has dropped two charges against Nielsen that claimed the research giant had engaged in unfair trade practices and breach of contract.

Announced in 2009, the lawsuit alleged that Nielsen used a monopoly to overcharge for services and produced 'defective, wildly inaccurate ratings data' which the TV station said had reduced its value by $100m.

Sunbeam also claimed that Nielsen's Local People Meters (LPMs) underreported ratings in ethnically diverse areas including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and that Nielsen had 'blocked' competitors from entering Miami.

Sunbeam's decision comes a week after its antitrust charges brought against Nielsen were dismissed by Florida Judge Paul C. Huck. At the time, Judge Huck said that Sunbeam had failed to produce sufficient evidence that LPMs were less accurate than the previous diary system, or establish the existence of a competitor for Nielsen's TV ratings. He also said Sunbeam could not prove that the current ratings for the broadcaster's local station WSVN are less accurate than they would be under a prospective competitor's methodology.

According to the dismissal documentation, both parties have waived the right to appeal in the future.

Web sites: www.nielsen.com and www.wsvn.com .