CRA media release: Commercial Economic Advisory Service of Australia (CEASA) figures released today, for the full calendar year 2007 and last six months of last year, show radio continues to perform well in attracting advertising revenue with an increase of around six (6.4%) per cent for the 2007 calendar year to a total of $984.4 million.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said CEASA’s Advertising Expenditure in Main Media report for the full calendar year 2007 shows radio advertising continues to perform in a competitive market with the metropolitan markets recording growth of around 8 per cent (7.6%) to a total of $644.5 million and regional markets growing by 5.5 per cent to a total of $319.7 million.

Ms Warner said these figures reflected the same sentiment as the 2007 PricewaterhouseCoopers Radio Revenue Performance figures for metropolitan radio markets.

“This is good news for the radio industry which is continually working to keep radio top of mind with advertisers. These figures also highlight the importance of new strategies, like radio working in partnership with online, to ensure maximum advantage in today’s multi-media world,” Ms Warner said.

“It is also a significant feat that the radio industry has recorded growth in attracting advertising revenue over the past seven years, despite a couple of slower years, and in what is an increasingly competitive and cluttered media market,” Ms Warner said.

Ms Warner said radio advertising revenue in 2008 was showing promising signs with the first quarter year figures released today showing growth of around four per cent for metropolitan radio markets to a total of $144.45 million. However she said growth was not uniform across the markets with Sydney still facing some challenges.

According to the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers Radio Revenue Performance figures for March 2008, most metropolitan markets recorded strong growth in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same timeframe in 2007, with Perth (up 18%), Adelaide (up 4%), Melbourne (up 8%) and Brisbane (up 9%). However Sydney recorded a drop of six per cent to $46.78 million.

“Looking forward, the launch of digital radio next year and the unique partnership with online and radio present some significant opportunities for the industry to further build its advertising revenue over the coming years,” Ms Warner said. “The industry must capitalise on these opportunities.”