EXHIBIT 99.8

    TO:  ALL NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH EMPLOYEES
    RE:  VNU TENDER OFFER

    Many questions have been generated by the tender offer information that was
recently mailed directly to Nielsen Media Research shareholders by VNU.

    Please refer to the Q&A below for information regarding this material. If
you have additional questions, please call the Information Agent named in the
Offer to Purchase document:

                             MCKENZIE PARTNERS, INC
                       (212) 929-5500  OR  (800) 322-2885

    Additionally, a more comprehensive, generalized Nielsen Media Research/VNU
FAQ will be distributed shortly to all Nielsen Media Research employees.

Q & A / TENDER OFFER

Q: I'm a current Nielsen Media Research shareholder. I recently received some
    information in the mail regarding a tender offer. What is this about? What
    do I need to do?

A: The tender offer is the means being used by VNU to buy all Nielsen Media
    Research shares held by shareholders. It's simply an offer to purchase your
    shares at $37.75 per share.

    The action you need to take to participate in the offer depends on the
manner in which you own your shares:

    1.  If you're a current participant in the Nielsen Media Research Common
       Stock Fund of the Savings Plan, you recently received a package
       containing information about tendering these shares to VNU. There is a
       form to complete and mail to Bankers Trust, indicating your intentions
       for the shares. Also enclosed in the package is a Letter of Transmittal.
       This letter is for information purposes only. Please don't complete it or
       mail it back with the other documents.

    2.  Under a separate mailing from Smith Barney, you'll receive information
       to tender the shares in your Employee Stock Purchase Plan Account. Again,
       you don't need to fill out the Letter of Transmittal, but only a sheet of
       instructions to Smith Barney.

    3.  If you hold Nielsen Media Research shares in a stockbroker's account,
       your broker will forward the tender offer information to you. You should
       follow the instructions sent by your broker. Most likely, you won't need
       to fill out the Letter of Transmittal but only a sheet of instructions to
       your broker.

    4.  If you hold other Nielsen Media Research shares directly, you should
       receive a separate mailing for those. In the case of directly owned
       shares, you'll have to fill out the Letter of Transmittal and follow the
       other instructions to tender your shares to VNU.

    5.  If you hold Nielsen Media Research restricted shares, you aren't
       permitted to tender them to VNU. Instead, the value of restricted shares
       will be paid at the time of their current vesting schedule. At the time
       of vesting, you'll receive the proceeds based on a sale price of $37.75
       (less applicable taxes), provided your employment hasn't been terminated
       for "cause" or in a way that isn't an "Eligible Termination" under the
       Career Transition Plan.

    Nielsen Media Research's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the
merger agreement and the offer, and determined that the offer is fair and in the
best interests of the stockholders of the company. The Board has recommended
that shareholders accept the offer and tender their shares pursuant to the
offer.

September 1, 1999