German audience measurement firm GfK appears to be withdrawing its bid for British research company Taylor Nelson Sofres, according to Reuters, which cited a story in Germany’s Manager magazine based on unidentified sources. GfK is said to be dropping its bid because Apax, the PE firm that agreed to help…

As expected, WPP Group is making a hostile bid for audience measurement firm Taylor Nelson Sofres, which has rejected the ad holding company’s three previous offers, Reuters reports. That in turn, has led UK-based TNS’ preferred suitor, Germany audience measurement provider GfK to rethink the combination of equals that was…

Audience measurement firm Taylor Nelson Sofres is pressing ahead with its merger with its German counterpart GfK, but it has nevertheless agreed to open its books to spurned suitor WPP Group, Reuters reports. TNS has already rebuffed WPP’s offer twice. Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP’s CEO, has engaged in a war…

WPP chief Sir Martin Sorrell is now resorting to a kind of name calling in his continuing pursuit of audience measurement firm Taylor Nelson Sofres, which is trying to fend off his advances by merging with German rival GfK. The merger is seen as a defence tactic but Sorrell tells…