The deal price is not easy to pin down. We’ve been told reports of $70 million are too low and that they’re being valued as premium brands with higher multiples if “entire value” is considered, but the actual number is elusive so far. The deal includes the print titles, websites and trade shows. The magazines are largely paid circulation, not controlled. Billboard has a “very lucrative” licensing business, unlike most business titles. Speaking of which, one bit about the price someone was willing to confirm: Nielsen will net considerably more than McGraw-Hill’s $5 million after-tax cash from the sale of BusinessWeek to Bloomberg.

Nielsen is keeping its larger trader show and exhibition business. One related title not included: Editor & Publisher. A source familiar with the buyers’ plans said they hope to develop THR and Billboard in the consumer space. The source also said the plans would require some additional investment.

Pluribus also includes Matthew Doull, former associate publisher of Wired (and also has been on the board of Finkelstein’s News Communications); and George Green, the former CEO of Hearst Magazines International who retired earlier this year. The bank representing Nielsen is Quayle Munro, led by John Wickersham—the former president and CEO of NBM.

[Update: When I was writing this last night there was some question about whether Murdoch had actually signed following some last-minute jockeying but I couldn’t confirm that. Now NYP‘s Keith Kelly is reporting that he has dropped out of the group last minute and the other party in the mix that we reported above is Alan Schwartz, former head of Bear Stearns, through the firm at which he works, Guggenheim Investment Advisors. Some magazine staffers are being called into meetings mid-morning.]