Media Sales Today

The radio industry has experienced significant changes since the start of the digital age. The number of formats is rising and listeners can now choose between traditional radio, satellite radio, and online streaming. But at least one research shop believes that the greatest threat to the radio broadcast industry is not the increasing range of available formats.

Usage of Internet radio is on the rise, and new research shows strong response rates to both Internet-only radio campaigns and combination Internet and broadcast campaigns.

Forecasts for fourth quarter ad revenue continue to be positive and new numbers from Katz Media Group indicate strong numbers for spot radio.

Good news in national spot radio. The market has been up for the first half of the year, with pacing through June up 16 percent, and it looks like the momentum is continuing into the third quarter. Katz Radio is reporting third quarter pacing is up 18 percent, with July up 13 percent, August up 16 percent and September up 28 percent.

Can you stand one more advertising revenue forecast? The first quarter has just ended, and revised 2010 forecasts are popping up. A new forecast from Barclays Capital has ad revenue numbers for some traditional media types being revised up instead of down for the first time in several quarters.

A new report by BIA/Kelsey (via MediaBuyerPlanner.com) shows U.S. local ad revenue across all media will see an annual growth rate of 2.2%, reaching $144.9 billion in 2014. The report predicts slowly recovering spending this year and next, with meaningful recovery beginning in 2012.

Good news for radio: More than three quarters of adults are reached by broadcast radio on a daily basis, according to a new report from Nielsen. The 77% reached by radio is second only to television at 95%.