Radio Holds Steady For 2011

The tentative recovery in radio advertising sputtered to a standstill in the last part of 2011, with total ad revenues declining 2% to $4.5 billion, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. This follows earlier year-over-year increases of 3%, 1%, and 2% in the first, second, and third quarters, respectively. Thanks to the earlier quarterly increases, the radio industry still saw an overall increase in full-year revenues, with annual growth of 1% to $17.4 billion. The fourth-quarter decline can be attributed, in large part, to the absence of political advertising associated with 2010’s midterm elections in November -- already cited by a number of broadcast radio groups as a factor in weak period earnings results. Read more here