 After Donaldson died in 1925 , Billboard was passed down to his children and their children , until it was sold to private investors in 1985 . The magazine continued to change hands to Affiliated Publications ( 1987 ) , VNU / Nielsen ( 1994 ) and its current owner , Prometheus Global Media ( 2009 ) . As of 2016 , it has been shifting to more of a consumer focus . 
