More Audio Site articles

Merrill Lynch is reducing its 2003 US radio advertising growth forecast from 4.3% to 3.3%, giving a total spend of $19.5 billion. Analysts say that the downward revision is an attempt to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and avoid any further downgrades. The broker has also cut its Q2 2003 predictions fairly heavily, from 5.0% to… Continue reading Merrill Lynch Downgrades US Radio Growth Forecasts

US radio advertising revenue rose by 7% year on year in February 2003, according to figures from the country’s Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). Local spend led the way with an 8% rise, whilst national dollars increased by 5%. The RAB says that this is indicative of a relatively healthy radio environment in spite of the… Continue reading US Radio Revenues Rise 7% In February

In the light of concerns about the impact of war in the Middle East and a resulting fall in adspend, Merrill Lynch has downgraded its 2003 US radio advertising forecasts. As expected, radio revenues in January were up 6% year on year and a similar increase is anticipated for February. However, analysts have cut their… Continue reading US Radio Outlook From Merrill Lynch

The commercial radio industry is outraged at the Government’s plans to give Ofcom the power to regulate the amount of advertising on local radio. In an attempt to protect the content of local radio following the relaxation of the media ownership regulations, the Government is proposing to give the new super-regulator the power to determine… Continue reading Radio Industry Attacks Plans For Local Advertising

The Government has announced plans to review the digital radio industry, in a move that could produce a switch-off date for the analogue signal. Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, told a London conference on digital radio yesterday that the BBC and the industry regulator would report on the progress of digital radio in the four years… Continue reading Government Announces Review Of Digital Radio

The Government is proposing the launch of 32 new FM radio stations, which could provide services to a number of key cities over the next few years. The proposal to free the licences, which would be warmly received by the commercial radio industry, is being put forward by the Radio Authority as part of its… Continue reading Raft Of New FM Radio Licences Proposed

Commercial radio has again been boosted by the increasing popularity of sponsorship and promotions, which helped the industry to see its total revenue for 2002 increase by 2.5% year on year to £562.8 million. The latest figures from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) show that commercial radio revenue for the fourth quarter of 2002 was… Continue reading Commercial Radio Boosted By Sponsorship And Promotions

Freeview, the new digital terrestrial service, is proving a much-needed shot in the arm for the multi-channel industry in the UK, says a new report out today. Continental Research found that awareness of Freeview, which launched last autumn, has grown significantly in the last six months. Back in July 2002, only 39% of UK adults… Continue reading Freeview Boosts Digital TV Sector

Growth in the UK radio advertising market stabilised in 2002, but was at best subdued, with growth of around 2.3%, according to estimates from analysts at Merrill Lynch. The broker is forecasting that 2003 growth will be a little stronger, at around 3% to 4%, but the ‘lacklustre macro conditions’ are likely to prevent any… Continue reading UK Radio Update From Merrill Lynch

US radio revenue rose by 6% across the course of 2002, in a recovery that is described as ‘remarkable’ by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). According to figures just released by the RAB, national spend rose by 13% over 2001, whilst local was up by 4%. The Bureau says that the figures also represent a… Continue reading US Radio Revenue Grows 6% In 2002