Madison Avenue Forecasts A Radio Rebound This Year…

Several advertising analysts say that radio will finish 2010 with year-end revenue that is flat or even 2 percent higher than last year, which would mean the industry’s first year-over-year gain since 2006. That’s the report coming from Advertising Age, the highly-regarded ad publication that also predicts that radio “is poised for its first quarterly rebound in three years.”  The last time radio advertising had positive quarterly growth was the first quarter of 2007. One thing that won’t be up but will be downright ugly are the full-year figures for 2009, due from the Radio Advertising Bureau later this month. How bad will this revenue report card be? The third quarter alone took a 21 percent dump. Despite that plunge and recent bankruptcy filings by radio groups of all sizes, there is optimism on Madison Avenue for a turnaround…

Radio is seeing ad dollars for the first time from marketers like Starwood Hotels’ Aloft brand, an upscale hotel chain with 39 locations. Starwood turned to radio in December to promote its year-end holiday party rooms and music-themed initiatives. They realized a 67 percent increase in business after their radio spots started airing and they attributed it entirely to radio. While Bishop Cheen, a radio analyst for Wells Fargo says radio still has a ways to go with first time advertisers, “compared to the abyss it’s been, it’s much better.” “Radio needs to continue to manage its balance sheet, and I don’t think you’re going to see dividends or equity enhancements. Stocks have recovered, but off of distressed levels. Radio still has some very fundamental challenges, not the least of which is too many terrestrial stations chasing too few dollars.”…

Cheen also commented on Entercom CEO David Field’s recent proclamation of his stated goal of seeing radio increase ad dollars by 10 percent in 2010. “I may disagree with him on the magnitude, but not on the direction.”… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1789] And the winner is: Electors unanimously choose George Washington as the first President of the United States, making his election official…
2. 1932] Let the games begin: The first Winter Olympics takes place at Lake Placid (NY)…
3. 1941] Bob Hope books a flight: The United Service Organization (USO) is created…
4. 1957] The Right Type: Smith-Corona rolls out the first electric typewriter weighing a hefty 19 pounds…
5. 1969] Meet the new Commish: Bowie Kuhn replaces the fired William Eckert as Baseball Commissioner…
6. 1983] ‘Happy Trails’: Karen Carpenter passes away from heart failure probably caused by years of suffering from anorexia nervosa. Karen was just 32. This video clip features a drum solo by Karen and a brief appearance of John Denver…1987] Liberace falls victim to AIDS related complications at 67…
7. 1997] Guilty as charged: A civil jury in California finds O.J. Simpson liable in the deaths of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman’s parents are awarded $8.5 million in damages…
8. 1999] Signed, Sealed, delivered?: Having failed to get Bill Parcells from New England as coach, the Jets hire Bill Belichick as H.C. How’d that work out Jets fans???
9. 1999] Amadou disaster: An unarmed Amadou Diallo is cut down in a hail of bullets when four New York City plainclothes police officers thought he was armed. He wasn’t…
10. 2007] Super win: The Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 to win Super Bowl XLI. Peyton Manning will be gunning for his second SB win this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints…

Music Memories:

• 1955] Recorded on this date: “Please, Please, Please” - James Brown…
• 1977] 25th Anniversary: “American Bandstand” celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special hosted by Dick Clark.  Here are some AE highlights through the years…
• 1977] Released on this date: “Rumours” LP - Fleetwood Mac.  Stevie Nicks puts on her makeup on the ‘Rumours’ tour.  From the LP, here’s “Dreams“…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Oscar de la Hoya (37), Clint Black (48), Lawrence Taylor (51), Alice Cooper (62), Dan Quayle (63), Florence LaRue (5th Dimension) (66), David Brenner (74) and Conrad (’Different Strokes’) Bain (87)…

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Super Bowl XLIV, 10 days until Valentine’s Day, 11 days until President’s Day, 14 days until pitchers & catchers report to spring training voluntarily (59 days until the MLB opener), 38 days until daylight savings time and 44 days until the beginning of spring…

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