Nielsen Co. agreed to sell eight brands, including the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, to a newly formed company while announcing it will close two other titles, including Editor & Publisher.

The buyer is e5 Global Media, created by Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners. Under the plan, e5 Global Media will also acquire Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek, the Clio Awards, Backstage and Film Journal International, along with the Film Expo trade show business.

Nielsen spokeswoman Marisa Grimes said the company wouldn't disclose the price tag of the sale, or how much those brands contributed to the company's total revenue.
Following Thursday's moves, Nielsen will own 18 magazine titles and a larger number of tradeshows.

A spokesman with Pluribus/Guggenheim wasn't immediately available for comment.
The sale, set to close this month, comes underscores the grim times for media companies, which have been stung by a steep drop in advertising spending. Ads are expected to continue migrating away from traditional print and broadcast outlets.

Nielsen will also cease publishing Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews by the end of the month. Ms. Grimes said the closings would affect 18 positions, although it wasn't immediately clear if the employees would be terminated.

The information and media company, best known for its television ratings, faces growing competition from companies like TiVo Inc., which monitors households but lacks person-specific data, and Arbitron Inc., which uses meters to track TV viewing. Last month, the company reported it swung to a third-quarter loss on a $582 million write-down, masking underlying profit growth.

By John Kell
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