Radio Ads Are Coming Back, and the Presidential Run Will Help

Radio advertising, badly hit by the recession, is bouncing back. Revenue from radio advertising last year was $17.4 billion, up 1 percent from the year before.

Automotive companies, the largest category of sponsors, made up 26 percent of spending. Radio expects to benefit from campaign spending this year, including spots paid for by “super PACs” supporting the presidential candidates. The advertising bureau’s report cites projections from PQ Media, a research firm, that campaign spending in 2012 across all media will exceed $5.6 billion; during the 2010 midterm campaigns, radio received 7 percent of total political spending, according to PQ Media.