• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, November 6, 2013

Big broadcast radio groups announced middling third-quarter results this week, with no substantial growth or decline compared to last year.
 
Entercom Communications, which operates over 100 stations in 23 markets around the country, said total revenues dropped 4% from $102.3 million in the third quarter of 2012 to $98.4 million in the third quarter of 2013. Local revenue was down 5% and national revenue was flat year-over-year.

Entercom CEO and President David J. Field blamed poor “sales execution” for the weak results, and promised investors improved performance in quarters to come.
 
Sage Communications reported modest revenue growth of 1.6% from $32.4 million in the third quarter of 2012 to $32.9 million in the third quarter of 2013. Excluding political revenue, which raised last year’s total significantly, total revenues increased 5.2%. Looking ahead, Saga CEO Ed Christian foresees a small revenue decline in the final quarter, also due to the absence of political revenues.
 
Salem Communications saw revenues increase of 3.1% to $58.5 million in the third quarter of 2013 -- but this was mostly due to increases in its Internet and publishing revenues, as broadcast remained flat. Like other big radio groups, Salem’s broadcast side suffered from the absence of political advertising, although its Spanish-language and contemporary Christian stations were up. In the fourth quarter, Salem warned that revenues may decline as much as 2%.
 
Previously, Cumulus reported that total revenues grew 2.1% from $275.4 million in the third quarter of 2012 to $281.1 million in the third quarter of 2013 -- and attributed this to growth in spot advertising and live events, partially offset by the expected decrease in political revenues.
 
Beasley Broadcast Group announced that total revenues increased 5% from $24.7 million in the third quarter of 2012 to $26 million in the third quarter of 2013. Beasley attributed this increase to strong advertising demand in its Philadelphia, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Augusta markets, as well as the acquisition of two stations: KOAS-FM and KVGS-FM, in Las Vegas. Excluding these station acquisitions, Beasley’s total revenues were up 2.7% .