TurnSignals

Things are bad-but they're not getting worse. Measured spending on traditional media fell 5.7% in June vs. the previous year. That was better than May, when spending plummeted 8.2%. June also was better than January through May, when spending fell 6.4%. Print media improved in June, with local newspapers and magazines showing smaller year-on-year drops (though national newspapers' advertising worsened). Overall TV also showed improvement, particularly network TV, which showed a 6.8% year-on-year increase thanks to healthy comps among Spanish-language TV channels, which were up 11.6% in the first half. Radio remained difficult in June, with network radio down 9.8% and national spot radio down 18.4%. Overall, first-half spending was down 5.9%. Year-on-year comparisons still need to improve significantly to hit analysts' full-year projections; Merrill Lynch's Lauren Rich Fine, for example, forecasts 2001 U.S. ad spending will fall 4% (AA, Sept. 3).