Advertising spending dropped 2% in the third quarter from the previous year despite the Olympics and presidential election, TelevisionWeek reports, citing TNS Media Intelligence data released Thursday. For the first nine months of 2008, total spending was down 1.7%, but most national TV categories showed gains, with network up 3%, cable up 3.7% and syndication ahead 9%. TNS said early fourth-quarter data “indicate a further slackening of the overall advertising market.”
—Jon Lafayette