Local Broadcast TV Gains Ad Revenue Share Over Local Cable In First Half.

Local broadcast television ad revenues were up 0.2% in the first half of 2003 compared to the same period last year, according to Susan Cuccinello, SVP of research for the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), based on estimates supplied by TNS Media Intelligence/CMR in the top 100 markets. Nielsen Monitor-Plus had said in a release last week that Spot TV was up 4.0% in the top 88 markets in the first half.

The spot television data, taken together with a compilation of data by Media Daily News from the Big 7 cable TV operators showing that aggregate local cable advertising sales were down 5% versus a year ago, indicates that local broadcast television gained share of local television ad revenues in the first half.

Meanwhile, network television gained 1.7% and syndicated television gained 15.8% in the first half, according to TVB, putting total broadcast television’s ad revenues 2.1% higher in the first half of 2003 than in the same period in 2002.

The top three spot advertisers (local and national) in first half 2003 were the same as in first half 2002: No. 1 Daimler Chrysler (up 11.5%), No. 2 General Motors (down 12.1%), and Ford Motor Co. Dealers Association (up 3.3%). The rest of the top ten were No. 4 General Motors Corp. Dealers Association (up 50%), No. 5 Honda Motor Co. (up 11.4%), No. 6 Ford Motor Co (down 17.2%), No. 7 Nissan Motor Co. Ltd (up 22.9%), No. 8 Toyota Motor Corp Dealers Association (up 29.7%), No. 9 Verizon Communications (down 25.1%), and No. 10 Yum Brands (down 3.0%).

The rankings of the top five advertising categories for local and national spot in first half 2003 were unchanged: No. 1 Automotive (up 2.1%), No. 2 Restaurants (down 8.0%), No. 3 Car & Truck Dealers (up 5.3%), No. 4 Telecommunications (up 1.4%), and No. 5 Furniture Stores (up 5.2%). The rest of the top ten were No. 6 Food & Food Products (up 5.3%), No. 7 Travel, Hotels, & Resorts (down 13.1%), No. 8 Financial (up 2.3%), No. 9 Leisure Time Activities & Events (up 8.3%), and No. 10 Insurance and Real Estate (down 3.1%).

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