US radio revenues down 25%
US local and national radio ad revenue sank 25% in the second quarter of 2009, to $3.4 billion, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau.
Local and national combined were down 25% for the first six months of the year, while local fell 25% and national 24% for Q2.
Network radio was down 10% and 11% for the quarter and the half, respectively.
Digital radio, meanwhile, was up 9% for Q2 and 10% for the half.
Recent UK research from the the Digital Radio Development Bureau found that 63% of drivers expect a new car to come with DAB radio as standard.
Total radio revenue was down 22% for the quarter and 23% for the half.
Jeff Haley, president and CEO of the RAB, said: “We are most likely past the Q1 low point for radio revenues and are now on the rebound.”
Figures published by the UK Radio Advertising Bureau earlier this year showed that national advertisers’ radio spend was down 21.2% year on year in the fourth quarter of 2008, with total spend in Q4 down 14.5% to £129 million.