• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 7, 2006

The local station business continues to take its lumps on the ad-revenue front. The Washington Post Co.--owner of six TV stations--saw revenues for the second quarter, as well as the first half of the year, decline 1 percent. That figure doesn't factor in the usual even-year bump from Olympic and political ads.

Second-quarter revenues declined from $88.4 million in 2005 to $87.7 million this year, excluding the even-year help. Even counting the $1.3 million in political ad spending, the increase was only 1 percent to $89 million.

For the first half of the year, revenues fell 1 percent from $167.7 million to $166.4 million--without the even-year bump. With $6.3 million raked in from the Winter Olympics for its NBC affiliates in Detroit and Houston and $2.2 million in political spots added in, revenue rose 4 percent to $174.9 million.

Credit Suisse issued a report saying the station group's performance has been "dragged down" by ratings struggles at NBC and "a slow start to the political year." The firm said the ABC stations in Miami and San Antonio "performed well in the quarter, but their contribution is smaller."

Political advertising should help the Post stations this year as races in Florida heat up. The beneficiaries should be its stations in Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville.