Radio personality Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem is in ongoing negotiations with Nielsen concerning a drawn-out rating tampering issue. A two-day long mediation attempt that occurred in front of a Magistrate Judge, but left the two sides still struggling to resolve the issue.

The first of two mediation attempts involved the Nielsen attorney, Mark Ragusa, and Clem’s Attorney, Todd Foster. The session lasted at least six and a half hours, and despite not reaching a settlement during that time, the two sides were able to open the door for further negotiations, which were scheduled for June 14^th.

On the scheduled mid-June date, the two sides picked up where they left off during the May negotiations, but were still unable to reach a settlement both were willing to agree upon. According to the clerk’s records, there was an “impasse,” but documents did not reveal specifics and as per the rules of mediation, the details remained confidential. The documents did show the court granted Nielsen’s request to use electronic equipment during the negotiations, including phones, computers, and tablets.

The suit has grown from Nielsen’s $1 million ratings tampering lawsuit against Clem. The first mediation which occurred during the summer of 2016 was in front of a mediator, while these more recent session were in front of a Magistrate Judge – an action believed to increase the likelihood of a settlement. Since the initial mediation session, Clem’s attorney filed a sensational conspiracy allegation against Nielsen, stating the group, in conjunction with Cox Media Group, conspired to perform a sting operation in an effort to entrap Clem in ratings distortion.