SNL Kagan: Stations Seeing $21 Bil in 2010 Revenue

TV station ad revenue will reach $19.8 billion in 2010, predicts SNL Kagan, up from the $17.3 billion stations tallied last year. Last year's total represented the lowest level since 1995.

Add in retransmission consent fees, and total station revenue is expected to reach $20.9 billion in 2010, says SNL Kagan.

SNL Kagan projects radio station ad revenue will recover to $17.1 billion in 2010, the highest increase since 2003.

"The bounce-back in ad revenues, combined with other positive trends, such as growing digital dollars, have reassured investors, who have bid radio station stocks up 36% and TV station stocks up 26% year-to-date," said SNL Kagan Senior Analyst Robin Flynn.

SNL Kagan hosts its 27th annual TV and Radio Finance Summit June 16 at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York. Speakers include Fisher Communications President/CEO Colleen Brown and Kepper, Tupper and Co. President (and former Fox affiliates board chairman) John Tupper.

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.