RAB Reports Record Radio Growth in 1st Q

First quarter 2000 delivered record radio advertising sales, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau.
For the first three months of this year, combined local and national sales figures were 21 percent better than the same period last year. National sales lead the numbers, with a 35 percent increase over same period 1999.
Local figures are also up, running 17 percent ahead of last year.
March 2000, with local dollars up 15 percent over March 1999, and national figures up 40 percent, qualified as the 91st consecutive month of sales gains for the industry.
RAB President and CEO, Gary Fries, said that radio’s gains came from all categories.
“The indication is that this is not part of a cycle, but rather a total change in the currency value of radio’s pricing platform,” Fries said.
The effects of “dot-com” business, while significant, are only part of the radio boom.
“We find that if “dot-com” business did not exist, we would still show a 19 percent gain across the board for the quarter,” Fries said.
– Laura Dely