Political Advertising

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. reported Wednesday a fourth-quarter profit of $33.1 million, or 40 cents per share, reversing a fourth-quarter loss in 2009 as strong political advertising boosted the company's year-end performance. The television station owner said it was reinstating its dividend and declared a 12-cent quarterly dividend per share beginning March 15. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the company reported a net loss in its broadcast group of $67.8 million, or 85 cents per common share.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. saw its second-quarter income jump 61 percent and raised its quarterly dividend as political advertising far exceeded company expectations, the Hunt Valley broadcaster said Wednesday. The company earned $30.1 million, or 37 cents per share, in the three months that ended June 30, up from $18.6 million, or 23 cents per share, in the same period the year before. The company's stock jumped 13 percent Wednesday, rising $1.31 a share to $11.51 each in Nasdaq trading.

Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group said net income fell 31 percent in the fourth quarter, with earnings missing analysts' estimates by 4 cents per share. The broadcasting company on Wednesday reported net income of $22.7 million, or 28 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, compared to net income of $33.1 million, or 41 cents per share, in the last three months of 2010. The company declared a quarterly dividend of 12 cents per share. Analysts had expected earnings of 32 cents per share on revenue of $211.34 million.

Today's topic: the billions (yes, with a "b") that will be spent on advertising in this year's presidential and congressional campaigns, and what kind of messages that money is sending. Like jazz, blues and musical comedy, the political ad is a uniquely American contribution to the arts, only less uplifting. Some turn into classics, like Ronald Reagan's 1984 "Morning in America" ad or the 2008 will.i.am music video based on Barack Obama's "Yes, we can" speech. Whatever your politics, you had to admire their artistry.

Baltimore-based W. B. Doner & Co. is stepping into the political advertising arena with a new division and a big-name client -- Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York.Giuliani has signed on as the first client of the newly formed Doner Public Affairs, which will produce broadcast and newspaper ads and plan media strategy for the mayor's re-election campaign, the agency said yesterday.Doner, also headquartered in Detroit, formed the division by merging with the Goodman Group Inc., a 38-year-old political media consulting firm with Baltimore roots.

Political advertising that could reach record levels is expected to boost revenue this year for Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the company said yesterday. Sinclair, which owns and operates television stations in 35 markets, said net broadcast revenue from continuing operations will likely grow to between $160.2 million and $162.5 million in the first three months of 2008, compared with net revenue of $148.3 million in the first quarter of 2007. The projected increase for the broadcaster, which owns affiliates of FOX, MyTV, ABC, CW, CBS and NBC, assumes a jump in political advertising as well as an estimated $5 million in revenue from advertising during the Super Bowl.

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Wednesday second quarter profit rose to $17.3 million, or 21 cents per share, up from $2.8 million, or 4 cents per share, for the same period a year earlier, as sales of television advertising continued to improve. Net broadcast revenues from continuing operations jumped more than 19 percent in the three months ended June 30, rising to $158.7 million from $133 million, the company reported. "Broadcast television advertising continues to grow, an indicator that the economy is showing signs of recovery," David Smith, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

If you watch television these days, you would think everyone running for office is trying to take medicine from your elderly parents, candy from your baby and money from your pocketbook, denying education to your children and generally subverting the American dream and ruining all that is good about this country. Such are the people who want to be our government's leaders. It's negative political advertising. "Hey, you might not like me, but my opponent is worse!" If pride in your candidate will not get you to the polls, then fear of the other guy - or gal - might.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said yesterday that its broadcast cash flow, an important industry yardstick, went up 8 percent to $101.2 million and that net broadcast revenue rose 7.2 percent to $199.5 for the fourth quarter. For the quarter that ended Dec. 31, the Cockeysville-based company said its net income available to holders of common shares dropped 68 percent to $56.5 million, or 65 cents per diluted share, from $176.8 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, in the corresponding quarter of 1999.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the Hunt Valley-based operator of 58 U.S. television stations, reported yesterday an unexpected increase in third-quarter profit on higher revenue from political advertising and lower amortization costs. Net income rose to $11.7 million, or 14 cents a share, from $9.9 million, or 11 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Per-share profit beat the 9-cent average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. With a sinking economy expected to further hurt advertising, Sinclair said it is cutting costs in areas such as salaries, travel and entertainment as well as promotion expenses and capital spending.

Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group said net income fell 31 percent in the fourth quarter, with earnings missing analysts' estimates by 4 cents per share. The broadcasting company on Wednesday reported net income of $22.7 million, or 28 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, compared to net income of $33.1 million, or 41 cents per share, in the last three months of 2010. The company declared a quarterly dividend of 12 cents per share. Analysts had expected earnings of 32 cents per share on revenue of $211.34 million.

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. reported Wednesday a fourth-quarter profit of $33.1 million, or 40 cents per share, reversing a fourth-quarter loss in 2009 as strong political advertising boosted the company's year-end performance. The television station owner said it was reinstating its dividend and declared a 12-cent quarterly dividend per share beginning March 15. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the company reported a net loss in its broadcast group of $67.8 million, or 85 cents per common share.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Wednesday that net income dipped 4 percent in the third quarter and that earnings missed analysts' estimates of 21 cents per share, despite the company's reported gain in revenue that included higher-than-expected sales of political advertising. The Hunt Valley-based television station owner and operator reported net income attributable to the parent company of $14.3 million, or 18 cents per share, for the three months ending Sept. 30, compared with net income of $14.9 million, or 19 cents per share, in the third quarter of 2009.

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Wednesday second quarter profit rose to $17.3 million, or 21 cents per share, up from $2.8 million, or 4 cents per share, for the same period a year earlier, as sales of television advertising continued to improve. Net broadcast revenues from continuing operations jumped more than 19 percent in the three months ended June 30, rising to $158.7 million from $133 million, the company reported. "Broadcast television advertising continues to grow, an indicator that the economy is showing signs of recovery," David Smith, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the Hunt Valley-based operator of 58 U.S. television stations, reported yesterday an unexpected increase in third-quarter profit on higher revenue from political advertising and lower amortization costs. Net income rose to $11.7 million, or 14 cents a share, from $9.9 million, or 11 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Per-share profit beat the 9-cent average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. With a sinking economy expected to further hurt advertising, Sinclair said it is cutting costs in areas such as salaries, travel and entertainment as well as promotion expenses and capital spending.

Political advertising that could reach record levels is expected to boost revenue this year for Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the company said yesterday. Sinclair, which owns and operates television stations in 35 markets, said net broadcast revenue from continuing operations will likely grow to between $160.2 million and $162.5 million in the first three months of 2008, compared with net revenue of $148.3 million in the first quarter of 2007. The projected increase for the broadcaster, which owns affiliates of FOX, MyTV, ABC, CW, CBS and NBC, assumes a jump in political advertising as well as an estimated $5 million in revenue from advertising during the Super Bowl.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Wednesday that net income dipped 4 percent in the third quarter and that earnings missed analysts' estimates of 21 cents per share, despite the company's reported gain in revenue that included higher-than-expected sales of political advertising. The Hunt Valley-based television station owner and operator reported net income attributable to the parent company of $14.3 million, or 18 cents per share, for the three months ending Sept. 30, compared with net income of $14.9 million, or 19 cents per share, in the third quarter of 2009.

PERHAPS we should be relieved that television doesn't have as big an effect on our thinking as we seem to think it does.The issue of "Advertising Age" published the day before Election Day predicted that if television ads were the key factor in rounding up the peoples' votes, we'd be saying President-elect Perot today.The $30 million-plus that H. Ross Perot spent on television ads may have not gotten him elected, but he'll be remembered. According to a survey for "Advertising Age" conducted by the Gallup Organization, the Perot ads were "the most memorable and influential."

Megan Hardy, an education major at Towson University, has taken her time to figure out who should get her very first vote for governor this fall. She has thought about the issues and talked to her friends, but one thing she hasn't done to make up her mind is pay the slightest bit of attention to the millions of dollars' worth of TV ads that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley are using to pump up their accomplishments and...