William Kerr, chairman and former CEO of Meredith Corp., has been named president and CEO of media marketing and research firm Arbitron Inc., and said he plans to resign his chairman position with Meredith. “Bill’s experience as a chief executive officer and chairman of a large public media company coupled with his board memberships make him uniquely qualified to lead Arbitron,” said Philip Guarascio, Arbitron’s board chairman, in a press release. Kerr replaces Michael Skarzynski, who resigned from Arbitron’s board after admitting to a false statement made in his testimony before a U.S. congressional committee last month, The Wall Street Journal reported.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. and BASF Plant Science announced they have reached an agreement on a patent infringement dispute. In June 2009, DuPont and BASF filed suit against each other in U.S. Court in the District of Delaware, seeking to enforce intellectual property rights relating to biotechnology traits, including traits that provide tolerance to broad-spectrum herbicides. DuPont and BASF have reached an agreement to cross-license patents and dismiss their claims and counterclaims against each other in both of the cases pending in Delaware. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Principal Financial Group Inc. has extended its agreement to remain the title sponsor of The Principal Charity Classic, keeping the Champions Tour golf tournament in Des Moines through 2012, the company announced. “Our decision to renew this sponsorship reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the Greater Des Moines community,” said Larry Zimpleman, Principal’s chairman, president and CEO. The tournament, which has raised nearly $1.7 million for children’s charities in Iowa in the past three years, was recognized nationally as the Champion Tour’s “Best Event” in 2009, based on attendance records, community support and charitable impact. The 2010 tournament will be held May 31-June 6. For more information on the tournament, visit www.principalcharityclassic.com.

U.S. private equity fundraising closed out its worst year since 2003 with 331 funds raising $95.8 billion in 2009, down 68 percent from the $299.9 billion raised by 508 funds in 2008, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reported. Leveraged buyout and corporate finance funds, though still constituting the biggest slice of the capital pie, raised just $53.7 billion across 133 funds in 2009, down 73 percent from 2008.

FBL Financial Group Inc. will announce its fourth-quarter 2009 earnings after the close of U.S. markets on Feb. 11 The fourth-quarter earnings release and financial supplement will be posted on the FBL Financial Group Web site, www.fblfinancial.com, at that time. FBL will hold a conference call to discuss fourth-quarter 2009 earnings on Feb. 12, at 10 a.m. Iowa time. The call will be webcast live on the company’s Web site or may be accessed by telephone at (888) 811-5455.