Radio Ad Spending Continues To Slide…

Thursday, November, 20, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

The downturn in Radio ad spending started a year ago.  Monthly estimates from the Radio Advertising Bureau show the last uptick in ad spending took place in April, 2007.  Since that time, it’s been ‘man all lifeboats, women and children first.’  Radio ad spending in the first half of 2008 is negative 6.5% and more recent reports show high single digit declines with local radio taking the biggest hit…

Dennis P. McGuire, vice president and local broadcast group director at Carat, tells Media Life that “auto sales are down around 33% for 2008 vs. 2007, and this has wreaked havoc on both radio and TV.  I think the loss of those dollars has been very important.  Stations rely on local dealers in their markets to give them the foundation of their financial strength during the year.”  McGuire believes the next big problem might be restaurants…

So what can we look forward to in 2009 you might ask.  McGuire is hoping that radio can somehow salvage a couple of share points in terms of ad dollars by going up against television and going to advertisers and saying, “these are hard times, why not start looking more intently on radio, which has lower cost-per-points?”  He also adds this, when asked what radio’s best sell to media buyers and planners might be, “cost efficiencies, reach potential and frequency potential.  These three in a nutshell.” …  

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1928] Debuted on this date: The Boston Bruins lose to Montreal 1-0 as the Boston Garden makes its debut…
2. 1947] Wedding Bells: Britain’s future queen, Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh in Westminster Abbey. Celebrating their 61st anniversary, the Duke in addition to being known as the current queen’s husband is officially known as her “consort” or as the Duke puts it, “I felt like I’d been turned into an amoeba.”…
3. 1960] Knocked into Monday: Frank Gifford is leveled by the Eagles Chuck Bednarik in a blind-sided hit that will wind up ending the career of the Giants star running back. The Eagles clinch the Eastern Conference title. As a reward Gifford will wind up with Kathie Lee…
4. 1962] MVP…MVP…MVP: Mickey Mantle wins his 3rd American League MVP award.  The Mick and Roger Maris starred in the movie “Safe At Home” the same year…
5. 1977] Record-breaking running backs: Walter Payton runs for 275 yards in a 10-7 Bears win over Minnesota, breaking the single-game rushing record held by O.J. Simpson (273 in 1976). In 2000, Emmitt Smith of Dallas breaks Payton’s record…
6. 1982] Youngest SNL host: That would be 7-year old Drew Barrymore who also made an appearance that year on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show…
7. 1982] Adding insult to injury: In the most bizarre ending of any football game, California beats Stanford 25-20 on a 5-lateral, 55-yard kickoff return that goes into the Cardinal band, standing in the end zone…
8. 1983] The night of “The Day After“: An estimated 100 million viewers watch the controversial ABC-TV movie, “The Day After” depicting a nuclear holocaust…
9. 1994] Rock and Roll transplant: David Crosby receives a liver transplant…
10. 2003] Book ‘em Dano: Michael Jackson is booked on suspicion of child molestation in Santa Barbara (CA). He will be acquitted of the charges…

Music Memories:

• 1962] Released on this date: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” - Four Seasons….
• 1966] Debuted on this date: “Cabaret” with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, opens on Broadway.  No one sings the title tune better than Liza Minnelli…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

J.D. Drew (33), Bo Derek (52, although we’ll always remember her as a ‘Perfect 10′), Mark Gastineau (52), Joe Walsh (61), Judy Woodruff (62), Veronica Hamel (65), Norman Greenbaum (66), Joe Biden (66), Dick Smothers (70), Richard Dawson (76), Estelle Parsons (81), Kaye Ballard (82) and Sen. Robert Byrd (91)…

Timeline Countdown: 7 days until Thanksgiving, 31 days until winter, 32 days until Hanukah and 35 shopping days until Christmas…

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