Big 4 TV Nets Wane As Google, Facebook Command Ad Dollars

Television advertising, at more than $65 billion annually, may seem impervious to erosion by interactive digital forces, but it’s just a matter of time before widespread consumer adoption translates into sizable shifts in marketer spending.

That time is near at hand, according to the experts. The major catalysts for this change are Google and Facebook. as they tap into connected consumers’ mobile social, search and e-commerce habits in ways the static television ecosystem cannot counter. To be sure, Google -- like Apple -- is moving aggressively to tap into a gradually emerging interactive television option. For now, industry analysts are lowering their forecasts for overall domestic advertising growth this year and next due to a lagging economy, despite the 2012 national elections.