• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, July 5, 2007

Demand for advertising pages in the U.S. business press continues to erode, according to the latest monthly figures from American Business Media's Business Information Report. Total business-to-business ad pages declined 2.8% in April vs. April 2006, bringing the year-to-date decline to 2.5%.

While ad revenue erosion has been less profound, dropping 1.1% in April an 0.8% year-to-date, based on rate card data, the declines signals a continuing shift of B-to-B media revenues from print advertising into digital media and events and trade shows.

"As we move into the second quarter of 2007, the story remains the same. Print remains stable, while we see tremendous growth from events, custom media and of course, e-Media," stated Gordon T. Hughes, II, president and CEO of American Business Media.

Among the stronger B-to-B print advertising categories in April were the architecture, design, lighting category, with a year-to-date increase in ad revenue of 14.7%; the pharmaceutical category with a 13.4% increase; and the resources, environment, utilities category with an 11.2% increase.