This analysis of spot advertising on radio stations in top-rated North American markets is for the 7-day period of February 20-26, 2006 and based on data from Media Monitors.

1. Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge runs 12,000 radio spots while GM airs 8,300 during the past week in major US markets, ranking Chrysler #1 among Domestic Auto advertisers and #2 Nationally, based on the Spot Ten charts released by Media Monitors. The difference is in the ad segmentation by product. Chrysler's parent company DaimlerChrysler chooses the "laundry list" ad approach to provide multiple brands and descriptors of their various Dodge minivans and RAM trucks, all within single spots. Meanwhile, the General Motors spots are individual product-focused campaigns: over 5,000 for Chevy (#2 Domestic Auto, #28 nationally), almost 900 spots for Cadillac, and hundreds more spots on GM products while their others promote Buick, Pontiac and Saturn in slots 2 and 6-10 respectively, to total GM's 8,300 spots this week, giving them 60% of the prime parking spaces this week. Ford Lincoln Mercury (#3), Hyundai (#4) and Isuzu (#5) round out this week's special Spot Ten of Domestic Auto Manufacturers.

2. Atlanta Radio is also a heavy car spot market this week, showcasing a new campaign from Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge (#1 Atlanta) promoting primarily their Dodge line of trucks, minivans and RAM trucks in over 660 radio spots on local radio, catapulting them into the top local radio slot, while Ford Lincoln Mercury is the #3 advertiser in Atlanta Radio this week, according to the Media Monitors study. Also on-air heavily in Hotlanta his week is Tributary (#6), a new housing community which ran over 320 radio spots promoting their new homes next to famous Sweetwater Creek State park just west of the city. Tributary's GM/COO Richard Mildner is best known for his master planning of communities Windemere, Windward and Laurel Springs in Atlanta, and Vista Lakes in Orlando.

3. Olympics use Radio: NBC TV Network lessens, but still strong on radio. NBC (#9 Nationally, #2 last week) airs fewer spots promoting the second week of its continuous prime-time Turnio coverage than previous weeks, but still it placed over 8,000 radio spots nationally in the past week. Further, the Media Monitors data shows that NBC remains ahead of ABC TV Network (#12 National) in radio usage. By the way, ABC is the only national TV network or cable channel keeping up a regular barrage of radio spots during the last few weeks of NBC's annual Olympic mega-promotion. NBC is also way ahead this week in radio spots, compared to Fox TV Network (#35 National) and Spike TV (#43 National). Notably absent from the top 100 this week are all other national television advertisers, including CBS TV Network and consistently heavy radio users Lifetime and A&E cable channels.