Ad-supported cable has attracted a larger primetime audience of working women age 18-49 during the current 2001/2002 television season, reports the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau. According to a CAB analysis of Nielsen data for the season-to-date period (October–April), ad-supported cable’s primetime U.S. household delivery of working women has increased 8.3% compared to the same period last season; rating has grown 7.1%; and share is up 6.9%. Collectively, the seven national broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX) have been watched by fewer working women in primetime during the 2001/02 season than the year before—with season-to-date declines of almost two percentage points in both rating and share. The double-digit primetime audience declines of ABC and FOX on a total household basis in the 2001/2002 season has also applied to working women, with ABC’s delivery of this demo down 22% versus last year and FOX down by 13%. NBC’s working women delivery gain of almost 16% in 2001/02 has been largely fueled by its long-time series “Friends.”
National Radio revenue figures rose another 1% in February, while local dollars fell 6%, due primarily to the lack of TV sweeps advertising in this Olympic year, according to the latest release from the Radio Advertising Bureau. The combined total for the month was off 5% when compared to February of last year. On a year-to-date basis, the national sales figures also grew 1%, while local dropped 3% during the first two months of 2002. The combined total was off 2%. “Radio has a broad range of advertising categories which has sustained the medium through the recent turbulent economy,” said Gary Fries, President and CEO of the RAB. “Radio revenues are strengthening each month, and as we look forward, the industry is poised for a steady growth recovery.” To put the intermediate and long-term growth of the Radio industry into proper perspective, RAB introduced a Sales Index that equates base year 1998 to 100. The Index works similar to the Consumer Price Index so that information can be monitored on a monthly basis. The Local Sales Index for February was 130.2, while the National Index was 132.7 and the Combined Total was 130.6. On a year-to-date basis, the Local Sales Index was 131.8; National was 129.8 and the Combined Total was 131.5. These monthly totals are based on the RAB Radio Revenue Index of more than 100 markets. The accounting firm of Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., and other certified public accounting firms, provide the local and national revenue data on the more than 100 markets RAB uses to calculate its Revenue Index.