The squeeze is on advertising budgets — and no media sector is immune. Spending across the media fell 3.7% during the second quarter, according to ad tracking service TNS Media Intelligence. (It’s important to note that second half results were bolstered by the Summer Olympics and political elections.) According to TNS, every one of the 19 major media it measures posted weaker year-over-year performance in the second quarter compared with the year-earlier period. Quarterly details have not yet been released. First half spending declined 1.6%. Media sectors that took a major hit in the first half (compared with the same period in 2007) include national newspapers (down 9.5%), local radio (down 7.5%) and b-to-b magazines (down 5.9%). The plus column included national syndication (up 10.2%) and, surprise, the Internet (up 8%).
