RAB: Radio revenues fell 8% in Q4

That’s a negative number, but a marked improvement from the 18% drop for all of 2009. Both national and local were down 10% in Q4, but a 15% surge in digital revenues helped ease the pain.

On one hand, a drop-off in Q4 would be expected – 2008’s Q4 got off to a rip-roaring start with political spending throughout the month of October — but just about every other imaginable category went over the cliff in the wake of the financial meltdown.

The good news was that Q4 WAS half bad. The 10% drops in local and national contrast with 20% and 19% drops for the year, and the yearly percentages would of course have been higher if not lowered by Q4 results.

RAB’s Jeff Haley commented, “Key Radio categories such as Automotive, Grocery, and Financial Services all posted increases in Q4 spending, and Communications and Restaurants were at 90% and 95% of Q4 ’08 comps, respectively. At the same time, advertisers’ increasing interest in Radio’s Digital capabilities generated the biggest gain of any quarter since we began breaking this segment out separately – up 15%. Combined, these factors brought Q4 revenue totals to 92% of same period last year.”

RBR-TVBR observation: We have the combination of an election year and singularly easy comps. It’s about time to see some black numbers. RAB says that the trend is especially positive, since December results were flat. Too bad the RAB no longer puts out monthly numbers so we all can see that. We understand the ostrich-like desire to hide the bad numbers, but it is a sign of fear and weakness. Worse, in so doing, the recovery is also buried. Let’s get back to monthly reporting.

Here’s the chart from the Radio Advertising Bureau: