• by Wayne Friedman , June 10, 2010

Television advertising had a strong first quarter, with network revenues up 11% and local stations grabbing big 20% gains over the year ago -- totaling around $18.9 billion. 

The Television Bureau of Advertising, which reported the results based on data obtained from Kantar Media, said that virtually every local TV advertising category witnessed improved results -- as did individual top marketers. Nine of the top 10 advertisers were higher; as were 20 of the top 25 local marketers.

This is a strong reversal of the double-digit declines that first hit local TV in the fourth quarter of 2008 and extended through most of 2009.

Network television moved up to $7.2 billion in the first quarter, with local television ad revenues reaching $3.5 billion. But syndication television did not gain as did other broadcast TV media. It dropped 13.2% in revenues during the period to $954 million. Executives guess this is reflective of the weak upfront period in 2009.

Syndication typically sells virtually all its inventory during the upfront period. The 2009 upfront period hit TV sellers hard with 2% to 7% lower pricing, as well as steep drops in overall revenue volume.

Big individual advertising gainers during the first-quarter period include Chrysler, AT&T, General Motors, Honda Motors, and Toyota Motors, and the car dealer associations at Ford Motor and Toyota.