Auto Advertising Falls 12% in First Half

The decline in auto advertising is just as bad as the television networks and stations think it is, according to a TVB analysis of TNS Media data.

Auto spending dropped 11.8 percent in the first half of 2008, compared to same period in 2007, with the big 3 domestic automakers leading the pullback.

The big 3 — Chrysler-Cerberus, Ford and GM — cut spending 17.6 percent, while 10 foreign companies pared 5.8 percent from their budgets.

The spending decline was even worse for TV stations. Total auto spending at stations was off 14 percent in the first half, dropping from $1.9 billion to $1.6 billion. Most of that loss can be traced to GM, which reduced its spot spending by 32.6 percent in the first half — from $339.9 million to $229.2 million.


http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/09/04/daily.5/