WPP has agreed in principal to sell the Russian branch of its TNS research company to the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (RPORC).
Quoting the latter’s CEO Aleksey Malinin, Vedomosti reports that only formalities remain before the sale, for an 80% stake in the company, is concluded.
Malinin also said that the decision to buy TNS was dictated purely by business interests. TNS is a small but profitable business and undertakes not only terrestrial TV but also online audience measurement.
Malinim in addition said that to maintain continuity RPORC planned to work closely with WPP.
The sale of TNS, which has operated in Russia for around 20 years, has been forced by recent changes in the law that requires audience research companies to be Russian owned.
According to Malinin, RPORC will participate in a tender, organised by Roskomnadzor, for the right to undertake audience measurement.
