Spanish-Language Media Leads U.S. Ad Growth

NEW YORK, December 5: Spanish-language television, boosted
by the World Cup, pulled in $3.22 billion in ad revenues in the first nine
months of this year, a 19.1 percent gain, according to TNS Media Intelligence,
which reported that the U.S. ad market as a whole grew by 4 percent in the same
period to $108.4 billion.

"Although total ad spending has turned in a modest year-to-date
gain, growth rates over the past six months lag forecast projections by 80-90
basis points," said Steven Fredericks, the president and CEO of TNS Media
Intelligence. "Record-setting levels of political advertising, which will
also impact fourth-quarter figures, have not been enough to overcome continued
weakness within the automotive, retail and travel sectors."

Internet display advertising posted a 17.9 percent gain to
$7.15 billion for the nine-month period. Spot TV, propelled by third quarter political
advertising, advanced 6.3 percent to $11.95 billion. Network TV was up just 3.8
percent to $16.7 billion, while cable TV saw its ad revenues rise just 3.3
percent to $12.1 billion. Television media in general reported ad revenues of
$47.2 billion, a 5.2 percent gain.

Television accounts for 43.5 percent of ad expenditures,
down from 43 percent in the year-ago period. Internet advertising saw its share
grow from 5.8 percent to 6.6 percent.

The top 10 advertisers in the first nine months of 2006
spent $13.55 billion, unchanged from the prior year period. Procter &
Gamble maintained its spot atop the rankings with $2.5 billion in spending, up
7 percent versus last year. Telecommunication companies upped their spending:
AT&T by 29.3 percent to $1.65 billion and Verizon Communications by 13.9
percent to $1.45 billion. Spending by the big media companies was down: Time
Warner (-14.8 percent to $1.2 billion), Disney (-4.2 percent to $1.03 billion)
and News Corp. (-7.5 percent to $896.2 million).

In terms of branded entertainment, TNS found that in the
third quarter of 2006, an average hour of prime time network programming
contained 2 minutes, 10 seconds (2:10) of in-show brand appearances and 18:19
of commercial messages. The combined total of 20:29 represents 34 percent of a
prime-time hour. Unscripted reality programming had an average of 6:33 per hour
of brand appearances as compared to 0:47 per hour for scripted entertainment
programming.