In an indication that 2012 could be a good year in the No. 1  advertising category for TV stations — autos — the Associated Press reports that "Chrysler’s January U.S. sales jumped 44 percent over a year ago and Ford’s rose 7 percent, kicking off what is expected to be a strong year for auto sales."

The article continues, "Industry analysts are expecting industrywide sales to be up around 7 percent for January, to begin what is expected to be the strongest year for the industry since the recession."

On the down side in January, the article notes "General Motors reported a 6 percent decline for the month Wednesday, saying demand for its trucks and crossovers fell when compared to its strong sales a year ago. GM also offered fewer discounts than it did last January."

The story adds: "’Overall, the economy’s not in a good place yet, but I think consumers are reacting to the conditions much more favorably than expected,’ said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC Automotive, an industry consulting company in Troy, Michigan."