Allbritton Revenue Up 3% in Fourth Quarter

Allbritton Communications reported fourth quarter net
operating revenue of $53.67 million, a 3% gain from the same quarter a
year
before. Taking political advertising out of the mix for both 2008 and
2009, ad
revenue climbed 14.6% in the fourth quarter.

Most station groups have been reporting revenue decreases in
the fourth quarter, thanks to the lack of political advertising in 2009.
Today,
Scripps reported that its fourth quarter revenue was up when political
is taken
out of the equation.

Local and national advertising were up 14.1% in the quarter,
while operating cash flow grew 25.8%.

Allbritton reported its earnings in a 10Q filing. The
Virginia-based company operates eight ABC affiliates, including WJLA
Washington
and KATV Little Rock, as well as the Politico website and newspaper and
the
cable channel NewsChannel 8.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.