Rather than wrapping up its months-long review of the deal as expected, the Federal Trade Commission is busy sending out additional requests for information, The NYPost has learned.
The latest round of questionnaires went out to TV station owners that stand to be affected by the merger of the two measurement giants, according to sources.
The FTC will decide whether to let the deal go through or move to block it. It could also enter into a settlement with Nielsen, in which the company agrees to divest assets or make other changes to win approval for the deal.
Nielsen said at the end of July that it expects to have an indication of where the merger stands by the end of this month. Nielsen CEO David Calhoun, speaking on a call with investors, said the company had complied with the FTC’s latest request for information and was just awaiting a signal.
The FTC has already held up the deal once after issuing a second request for information on March 8. After the companies comply with the request, the FTC has 30 days to complete its review and take action.
In December, Nielsen reached a deal to buy Arbitron for $48 a share, or $1.26 billion. It also agreed to pay a $131 million breakup fee — more than 10 percent of the purchase price — should the deal fail to pass regulatory muster.
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