Small drop in December yields flat year for radio
The Radio Advertising Bureau came out with its latest revenue stats yesterday. Combined radio revenues experienced a slight 1% decline in December 2005 over the same month in 2004, enough to pull Q4 into the red at -3% and to erase any gains for the year as a whole. The silver lining may be getting LIM to LIM comps in 2006. Local led the downward slide in December with a showing of -2%, matched by the results in non-spot revenue. National's flat showing was the best radio could do in the saving grace department. Q4 was weak generally, down 3% largely due to a 7% decline back in October. The internals for the quarter included a -1% showing in local, -9% in national and -3% in non-spot. For the year, a 1% gain offset a 2% decline in national and a 1% decline in non-spot to produce the overall flat result. Stats are provided by Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co.
RBR observation:
We'll be listening in to the upcoming round of quarterly conference calls for some previews of 2006. So far, a few birdies are chirping off the record, and it ain't exactly a chipper tune that they're chirping. Stay tuned.
RAB 2005 numbers by month
RAB radio revenue results, 2005
|
|
Local
|
National
|
Non-Spot
|
Total
|
|
January
|
2%
|
6%
|
2%
|
3%
|
|
February
|
0%
|
-1%
|
-5%
|
0%
|
|
March
|
3%
|
5%
|
0%
|
3%
|
|
April
|
0%
|
-2%
|
6%
|
0%
|
|
May
|
1%
|
1%
|
0%
|
1%
|
|
June
|
0%
|
0%
|
-5%
|
0%
|
|
July
|
-2%
|
-3%
|
3%
|
-2%
|
|
August
|
3%
|
0%
|
-5%
|
2%
|
|
September
|
1%
|
4%
|
4%
|
2%
|
|
October
|
-2%
|
-19%
|
-8%
|
-7%
|
|
November
|
1%
|
-5%
|
-1%
|
0%
|
|
December
|
-2%
|
0%
|
-2%
|
-1%
|
|
Total
|
1%
|
-2%
|
-2%
|
0%
|
Source: Radio Advertising Bureau/Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co.
Good Morning - Gain a personal edge on today's business day. Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
