Cumulus, Nielsen Get New Deadlines in Escalating Ratings Lawsuit | Radio & Television Business Report
A federal judge set deadlines for Cumulus Media and Nielsen to address Nielsen’s counterclaims in their ongoing ratings lawsuit.Summary
A federal judge has established a briefing schedule for the legal battle between Cumulus Media and Nielsen, focusing on Nielsen’s counterclaims against Cumulus. Nielsen alleges that Cumulus violated their agreement by sharing confidential ratings data with Eastlan Ratings and is seeking damages and an injunction. This follows Cumulus’s initial antitrust complaint challenging Nielsen’s policies, where Cumulus previously secured a preliminary injunction—currently stayed pending appeal—blocking Nielsen’s Network Policy.
The new deadlines require Cumulus to respond to Nielsen’s counterclaims by March 4th, with potential for amended counterclaims and subsequent responses extending into May. The judge’s order clarifies that the schedule does not waive any defenses either party may have, including jurisdictional challenges.
An initial pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 17th, as the court prepares to address motions related to Nielsen’s counterclaims and the larger dispute, which could significantly impact the pricing and distribution of radio ratings.
(Source：Chicago Chronicle)