Q1 outdoor ad spend up 8%

Outdoor ad industry revenue sustained last year's strong growth trend with an 8% increase in the first three months of 2007, accounting for $1.6 billion in total spending.

Outdoor media performance was up in nine of the top ten advertising categories for the first quarter of this year. The Communications Category posted the largest gain, up 20.0%. The Insurance and Real Estate Category remained strong with a 14.7% increase over the first quarter of 2006, stimulated by agents eager to compete in a cooling housing market.

The Automotive Accessories & Equipment Category surged by posting strong gains of 13.1% over the same time period last year, after several quarters of decreased spending. The Automotive Dealers & Services Category was up 6.1% for the quarter.

The greatest spending was in the Local Services and Amusements Category which grew 11.5% in the first three months of the year. The Restaurants Category (9.7%), Public Transportation, Hotels & Resorts Category (3.4%), Retail (0.6%), and Financial Category (0.1%) experienced increases.

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