Radio Leads LA 1st Half 2004 Local Media Growth.

Looking back on the first half of 2004, Radio has emerged as the overwhelming leader of the pack in Los Angeles local media growth over 2003 revenue. “This is significant as a review of recent documented history reveals that the Los Angeles Radio market is a lead indicator of the direction of nationwide Radio revenue trends,” explains Gary Fries, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).

According to Miller, Kaplan, Arase LLP’s May 2004 X-Ray Report for Los Angeles, which produces revenue estimates for 37 local radio stations and includes revenue estimates for 10 local TV stations and 8 local newspapers and 2 newspaper groups from TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, local Radio better than doubled local TV in growth, and produced ten times the growth posted by local newspapers.

It is also interesting to note that Radio’s revenues are less concentrated in the top ten categories than the other two media, and how much less dependent on the automotive category radio is:

According to Mary Beth Garber, President of SCBA, “The upcoming Political season should have a tremendous impact on broadcast revenues in the Southland, with as many as 5 major propositions vying for the public’s approval. We expect the second half of 2004 to continue to be a healthy one for local Radio in Los Angeles.”

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) is the sales and marketing arm of the Radio industry with nearly 7,000 members including close to 6,000 stations in the U.S., and over 1,000 associate members in networks, representative firms, sales, and international organizations.

To view chart CLICK above on ‘More Images’.