Q2 Ad Spending on TV Rises 4.4%

Double-digit gains for Spanish-language programming

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/10/2012 10:16:42 AM

Spending on TV advertising rose 4.4% in the fourth quarter, according to new figures from Kantar Media.

Network TV spending dropped 0.4%, partly because of the scheduling of some NCAA Final Four games, which were played in March this year versus April the year before.

Cable TV spending rose 4.2%. Spot TV rose 4.6% thanks to a wave of political money going to swing states in the presidential election. Markets in those swing states saw double-digit spending growth while growth was only 2%-3% in markets in other states, Kantar says.

Spanish-language TV spending rose 17.8%, with big gains in direct response, consumer packaged goods and auto.

Spending on syndication rose 10%.

Though growth was slower in the second quarter than in the first, overall, television made out better than most other media. Total advertising expenditures in the quarter rose 0.9% to $34.4 billion.

Ad spending growth sputtered during the second quarter and was unable to sustain its early year momentum," Jon Swallen, chief research officer at Kantar Media North America, said in a statement. "The advertising market is mirroring the tepid, slow growth performance of the general economy. Third quarter results will get a short-term boost from the Summer Olympics and political advertising but sustained long-term improvement will probably be linked to the health of consumer spending on the goods and services that marketers provide."