Spanish media group Prisa sues Nielsen over website figures
MADRID (AFP) — Spain's top media company Prisa said Monday it had taken legal action against US-based media firm Nielsen due to what it called an "unjustified" downgrade of the group's audience figures for the website of its newspaper, El Pais.
Prisa said its Internet arm Pisacom and El Pais were suing Nielson in a New York court "based on the damage caused by the unjustified downward revision in the number of unique visitors of ELPAIS.com during the current year."
"The lawsuit argues that due to the serious negligence on the part of Nielson in its measurement of audience figures for ELPAIS.COM, El Pais and Prisa suffered serious damages due to lost advertisemnt this year," it said in a statement.
Data from marketing firms like Nielsen are important in determining the amount websites charge for advertising, with sites with high viewing figures being able to charge higher fees to sponsors.
Prisa, which had announced in September that it planned to sue Nielsen over the issue, is being represented Washington-based law firm of Howrey LLP to pursue the case, the statement said.
The company said at the time that it wanted to see Nielsen's procedures monitored independently.
Prisa's assets include El Pais, Spain's top-selling newspaper, business paper Cinco Dias, television channel Cuatro, Cadena Ser as well as numerous interests in Latin America.
