4A's Asks FTC to Investigate Nielsen

Conflict between the American Association of Advertising Agencies and Nielsen Media Research escalated last week when the 4A’s filed a “confidential inquiry” asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate “whether Nielsen was engaged in any uncompetitive business practice,” said Adonis Hoffman, 4A’s svp and legal counsel in Washington, D.C.

The FTC withheld comment. Donna Campbell, vp of the 4A’s media services division in New York, said agencies have complained for “close to 10 years” about “what could be viewed by the FTC as extreme monopolistic practices,” including “300-500 percent rate increases over the last couple of years.”