Online Advertising Revenue Still Not the Answer

Remember when online revenue was going to save the media industry? Well, it turns out that was a bad plan even before the economy tanked and everyone got fired.

During the third quarter of 2008, online display revenue only increased seven percent, according to a report from TNS Media Intelligence.

But, you say, it’s going up. Isn’t that a good thing? Well sure, but the increase is less than half of last year’s 17.2 percent jump. Furthermore, spending online still is dwarfed by spending on television, magazines, and newspapers. Long story short: If a tiny pie gets marginally bigger, you still have a tiny pie.

So for those rumors that Entertainment Weekly‘s top brass is thinking of taking the magazine online-only? Maybe give that one another thought. (Just fold the damn thing.)

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