Ad Spending Falls 1.4% Through June

By Jon Lafayette

Advertising spending across all media fell 1.4% during the first half of 2008, the Nielsen Co. said Thursday.

Despite the overall declines compared with the first six months of 2007, some television categories showed growth during the first half, including cable TV, up 8.1%, syndication, up 7.2% and Spanish language TV, up 4.5%.

Local TV spending rose in part because of advertising in the primaries of the current political campaigns, with spot up 2.9% in smaller markets and 2.6% in the largest 100 markets.
The broadcast networks, affected by the Writers Guild of America strike, recorded a 6% drop in ad revenue, according to Nielsen.

Nielsen listed Internet spending as declining 6%, though separate numbers from Nielsen online pointed toward a gain of 11%. The 6% decline figure included cost-per-thousand, user-based and, image-based advertising. It did not include paid search advertising, text only, paid-fee services, performance-based campaigns, sponsorships, barters, in-stream ("pre-rolls"), players, messenger applications, partnership advertising, promotions and e-mail campaigns or house advertising activity.

Nielsen Online's separate details on first half 2008 Internet spending, estimated 11% growth in overall spending when including paid search and online video advertising.

(Editor: Baumann. Adds Nielsen Online in last paragraph.)