Well my media friends..the category that brought you many happy financial returns that went through severe finacial turmoil during the last 12 months and all but left town...is BAAAACK! It's time to crank up dealership dollars again to help generate store traffic. Start your engines and no speeding. Dr. Philip Jay..
by Wayne Friedman, Yesterday, 12:49 PM
One of the purest TV station group plays, Belo Corp. witnessed rocketing advertising results in the first quarter, with the lead automotive category surging 45% over a year ago.
Total overall advertising sales scored an equally impressive 17% gain for the period, with total revenue up 15.6%. Political advertising was at $6.3 million -- $5.6 million higher than the first quarter of 2009.
The company also benefited from special sports programming. Olympic sales from its NBC affiliates and Super Bowl sales also boosted its numbers. National spot advertising continued to outpace local spot ad efforts, rising 18% to local's 9.2% rate.
The company anticipates overall sales efforts to continue, with April estimated to be 10% higher against the same month in 2009. It also says that automotive spending continues to be pacing at 40% above levels of a year ago.
Another big contributor -- as with most TV station groups of late -- is retransmission dollars. Belo's rose 19% in the first quarter to $11.6 million. The company says outlying periods will see more modest gains.
Another area in double-digit percent improvements: Digital advertising sales, which climbed 12% to $7.3 million.
Belo has been able to trim corporate costs, which are down 3.2% in the first quarter of 2010. But it warned that expenses will grow in the second quarter.
The company's net earnings climbed 57% to $13.5 million, with net operating revenues at $154.3 million versus $133.5 million in the first quarter of 2009.
Belo comprises 20 TV stations -- nine in the top 25 markets -- with ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and MyNetwork TV affiliations, reaching more than 14% of U.S. television households.
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