3 Out of 5 Broadcast Networks Down in Ad Revenue

Ad Age is reporting that three of the top five broadcast networks saw declines in ad revenue in 2008.

CBS Corp.'s CBS saw a 6.7% decrease in ad revenue in 2008, when ad sales totaled about $6.64 billion, according to TNS, compared with about $7.12 billion in 2007. CBS broadcast the Super Bowl in 2007 and was hurt by the writers' strike in 2008 while rivals benefited from popular reality fare such as ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and Fox's "American Idol."

Meanwhile, Walt Disney's ABC saw ad revenue decline about 0.8% in 2008, TNS said, to about $6.16 billion compared with about $6.21 billion in 2007. CW, jointly held by Time Warner and CBS, saw ad revenue decline approximately 13.1% in 2008 to about $790 million from about $909 million in 2007. The network had three fewer hours of time to sell in the last part of the year, owing to a time-share agreement with a third-party producer for its Sunday-night prime-time schedule.

NBC, however, saw its ad intake rise about 8.3% in 2008, to about $5.39 billion, compared with about $4.98 billion in 2007. Fox saw ad revenue increase about 5.4% with 2008 ad revenue coming in at about $4.59 billion, according to TNS, compared with about $4.35 billion in 2007.