Radio ads rebound from recession
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, according to a recent report by the Radio Advertising Bureau.
Automotive companies, the largest category of sponsors, made up 26 percent of spending. It was the second year of growth for the industry, after three down years.
Spending in 2010 was $17.3 billion, up 6 percent from the year before. But the market is still down 18 percent from 2007, when ad revenue was $21.3 billion.
Men buy more fashion accessories
The male shopper, who was missing at the onset of the recession, is buying again.
And to the delight of retailers, he is not just stocking up on suits and dress shirts, but also bingeing on accessories.
Men are buying so many accessories like bracelets, bags, hats and umbrellas that some forecasters predict sales growth for men’s clothing and accessories during the first quarter of this year will set a 20-year high.
Men held off on buying apparel and accessories until last year, when estimated men’s sales rose more than 8 percent, outpacing the growth in women’s sales.
Germany likely to OK Greek bailout
BERLIN » A senior ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday he is confident that Germany’s governing coalition will strongly back the new Greek rescue package in Parliament, and the main opposition leader said he expects his party to vote in favor.
Parliament’s lower house is to vote today on the package, which centers on a second $173 billion bailout. Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has told lawmakers it is the best approach, though he concedes there are "no guarantees" of success and he can’t rule out further aid.
