U.S. advertising down 2.6% in 2008

says Nielsen :: Media Business. That's less that I expected. More:

Ad spending in b-to-b magazines fell 9.7%. Ad expenditures in other print categories were hit hard, too, with steep declines at national magazines (-7.6%), national newspapers (-9.6%), local newspapers (-10.2%) and local Sunday supplements (-11.0%).

Even Internet display advertising fell 6.4%. Cable TV ads were up, the only bright spot.

However, history suggests that those who advertise through tough economic times are more likely to survive them.