• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 3, 2013

Clear Channel said total revenues slipped 1% from $1.36 billion in the first quarter of 2012 to $1.34 billion in the first quarter of 2013, due to declines in its radio and international outdoor business. These losses were offset somewhat by increases in its Americas outdoor division.
 
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment (formerly Clear Channel Radio) saw revenues fall 2% from $671.5 million to $656.6 million, reflecting losses at its traffic division resulting from contract losses and consolidation, and weakness at its Premiere division, which the company said is improving.

These declines were partially offset by growth in station revenues -- especially national advertising, up 2%, and local revenues, up 1%. Digital ad revenues are also up. In terms of categories, the top revenue producers for the radio division were financial services, retail, and telecom.
 
Revenues at the company’s International Outdoor division were basically flat on a reported basis, although this worked out to a decrease of 2% after foreign exchange movements were taken into account, from $371.1 million to $363.7 million. CC’s Americas Outdoor division, which includes both domestic U.S. operations and its businesses in South America, saw total revenues increase 2% from $280.2 million to $286.5 million.  
 
Clear Channel Airports, which is part of the company’s Americas Outdoor business, is expanding its digital operations with a number of new products, including a new airport TV network, ClearVision, which is intended to compete with CNN’s Airport Network. CCA also recently revealed four large “video towers” in the Denver International Airport, consisting of LED screens measuring 26 feet on the diagonal.