• by December 6, 2000

The Radio industry continues to outperform the phenomenal advertising sales figures achieved in 1999, kicking off 4th Quarter 2000 ahead of last year's blowout holiday season with combined local and national ad revenues for October up 3% ahead of the same month last year.

The 98th consecutive month of advertising sales gains, October 2000 saw local dollars rise 6%, while national figures were down 5%. On a year-to-date basis, local sales were still trending 14% ahead of last year. Nationally, ad revenues were 16% higher through the first 10 months of 2000, while combined local and national totals were 14% better than 1999. These calculations are based on the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) Radio revenue index of more than 100 markets.

Local sales activity for the month of October was highlighted by a 14% surge in the Southwest region of the U.S. and an 8% increase in the East.

"Radio's rejuvenated status in the marketplace, on top of a year of incomparable growth, has strengthened the industry and positioned it to sustain temperate growth levels in this calmer environment," observed Gary Fries, President & CEO of RAB. "Radio is now performing on a higher plane and is establishing a pattern of revenue increases at a realistic pace. This new platform will see us through the first half of 2001."

The accounting firms of Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. and Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols and Carter provide the local and national revenue data on the more than 100 markets RAB uses to calculate its revenue index.