One bright spot for broadcasters in the current economic
catastrophe has been the growth of income from local TV Web sites, which have
enjoyed massive growth in views of pages and video clips.
Disappearing ad dollars has already led to slower growth on
some Web ventures even as traffic increases. But a new
report says that gravy train will slow even more in 2009.
Borrell Associates, a researcher based in Williamsburg, Va.,
forecasts that local broadcasters’ interactive ad revenue will rise just 9
percent in 2009—to $13.9 billion—down from a whopping 47 percent growth rate
expected for 2008.
“Local media companies projecting double-digit and even
triple-digit increases in their interactive budgets next year will have a very
difficult time meeting those expectations—especially if they rely on banner
ads,” the study’s executive summary says.
The complete report is available for purchase from Borrell
Assoiciates.