NEW YORK (AP) - Nielsen Holdings BV, the television ratings and

consumer research company, plans to raise up to $1.75 billion in an

initial public offering, the company said in a securities filing on

Thursday.

Nielsen, which is based in The Netherlands, said in a filing

with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it will use

proceeds to reduce its debt of $8.6 billion and for general

corporate purposes.

Nielsen was acquired in May 2006 by a group of private equity

firms, which included AlpInvest Partners, Blackstone Group, Carlyle

Group, Hellman & Friedman, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Thomas H.

Lee Partners.

The company did not say how many shares it plans to offer or the

price range it expects for them.

The volatility of the stock market could have a big effect on

how much Nielsen is able to raise. Investors have been looking for

discounts on recent IPOs. And an unusually high number of offerings

have ended up pricing below their expected range this year.