In what could be the first step towards vindication in a long running legal battle, Bubba the Love Sponge won a key ruling this week in his counter-suit against Nielsen, in a legal battle that began back in October 2015.
Judge James Whittemore granted the Tampa native and his legal team a second chance to argue the Nielsen and Cox conspired a “sting operation” and has sided with Bubba over Nielsen’s “shotgun” claim.
In legal terms, a shotgun claim is when it’s “virtually impossible to know which allegations of fact were intended to support which claims for relief.”
The judge has ruled in Bubba’s favor.
Nielsen now has 15 days to answer the radio personality’s counterclaim.
This case between the Tampa radio host and Nielson is the only apparent case of either Nielsen or Arbitron suing an individual over rating panel problems.
Bubba’s counterclaim seeks $1 million in punitive damages and seeks to make public the controversial nature of Nielsen rating system and how it favors its subscribing stations.