AD REVENUE

According to Standard Media Index the U.S. advertising market cut its declines in the third quarter from the second quarter; down only 5% year-over-year. As the NBA and NHL were postponed to the July-October period it provided for increased ad revenue. Overall, the strongest performing ad category was pharmaceutical drugs, up 19%. Digital media advertising in the U.S. also saw an 8% gain in the third quarter. “TV advertising revenue performance in the U.S. was more or less the same as in other countries, down 8%, while the United Kingdom and Australia were 9% lower and Canada had a 2% decline.” (MediaPost: 10/22/20)

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

The National Retail Federation (NRF) released the results of an early October survey, indicating that consumers anticipate spending $998 on gifts, holiday food and decorations, and additional “non-gift” purchases this season; down $50 from 2019. The majority of this decline comes from people who are hesitant to purchase non-gift items when they see a big sale. Despite this overall holiday drop, the expected spending is higher than the NRF’s average for gifts and décor. (CNBC; 10/21/20)

TV NEWS, YOUNGER AND MORE DIVERSE

A new Nielsen Local Watch report shows that with all the media available to consumers, news “remains a vital connection to both the world at large and our local communities” with increased viewership among all measured ages and races/ethnicities. As of April, viewers were spending just under nine-and-a-half hours each week watching TV news. Data showed that as we moved into September, American adults were still engaged with TV news, watching average of 7 hours and 5 minutes per week; up 23% from the same period last year (Nielsen: 10/22/20).

In the second quarter, during a focus on both COVID-19 and social unrest, there was a 48% gain in TV news consumption to 8 hours and 34 minutes of news viewing in a week. “Local TV news continues to have the biggest average weekly reach for all demographic groups, at 54% of people 18 years and older.” (MediaPost: 10/23/20)

VIEWERSHIP AND TRUST

A recent Dynata study, updated with late-September data, reinforces television’s dominance in reaching large audiences. The findings showed that TV reached 84% of all respondents, while radio reached 58%, social media reached 55%, and ad-supported video streaming platforms reached 27%. Among all news sources, local broadcast TV was proven to be the most trusted (79%) with adults 18+. Among digital media choices, websites and apps of local broadcast TV stations were shown to be the most trusted news sources at 70%. Broadcast TV news ranked #1 among respondents, with 50% agreeing that it provided them with the best information and updates on the COVID-19. Cable TV news came in a distant second at 25% and social media coming in third at 13% (TVB).

30 MINUTES OR LESS