Big layoffs at VNU

That's the Dutch parent of THR, Adweek, Billboard and Nielsen. All told, 4,000 jobs, or around 10 percent of the company's work force, will lose their jobs, although a VNU spokesman told AP that no layoffs were planned next year at THR or Billboard. Those pubs have already gone through a thrashing. The cuts are part of a huge reorganization that some say will leave Nielsen at the core of the conglomerate. Savings realized from the job cuts are expected to be invested in new Nielsen products. You might recall that VNU was bought by a group of six private equity firms earlier this year and since then things haven't been the same. Many of VNU's publications and services have major operations in L.A.