Total broadcast television ad revenues were down 4.0% in the second quarter of 2008 compared to the same period last year, according to a analysis by the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) of estimates supplied by TNS Media Intelligence/CMR.

Network TV was down 4.8% in the quarter, syndicated TV was up 9.1%, and local broadcast TV was down 6.1%, translating into the total 4.0% decline.

For the first half of 2008, local broadcast TV was down 3.8%, syndicated TV was up 10.2%, and network TV was down 1.5%, producing a total broadcast TV decline of 1.3%.

The Top 25 advertising categories reflected the general decline in the 2nd quarter: seventeen spent less than in the same quarter a year ago and eight spent more. Focusing on the Top Ten categories, No. 1 Automotive was down 17.0%, Communications/Telecommunications was down 2.3%, No. 3 Restaurants was down 3.3%, No. 4 Car & Truck Dealers was down 13.8%, No. 5 government and Organizations was up 19.0%, No. 6 Travel, Hotels & Resorts was up 5.1%, No. 7 Furniture Stores was down 12.6%, No. 8 Insurance was down 4.2%, No. 9 Financial was down 3.1%, and No. 10 Schools, Colleges & Camps was down 1.8%.

Among local broadcast television's top 10 individual advertisers in the 2nd quarter, the story was similar. No. 1 Chrysler-Cerberus was up 0.9%, No. 2 Ford Motor Co. Dealers Association was down 7.9%, No. 3 AT&T was down 28.2%, No. 4 Nissan Motor Co. was down 13.3%, No. 5 Toyota Motor Corp Dealers Association was down 5.1%, No. 6 Honda Motor Co was down 5.5%, No. 7 Comcast Corp. was up 68.5%, No. 8 Toyota Motor Corp was down 2.9%, No. 9 General Motors Corp. was up 5.7%, and No. 10 Verizon Communications was down 29.9%.

View top 25 spot TV advertisers for 2nd quarter

View top 25 spot TV ad categories for 2nd quarter

View top 25 spot TV advertisers for 1st half

View top 25 spot TV ad categories for 1st half