Advertising Woes Continue

• TV sports feeling the recession; Once thought to be the sole recession-proof property on television, big-ticket sports are showing signs of vulnerability in the fourth quarter, with ad sales down as much as 15 percent, according to a number of media buyers and network execs. Brisk sales in the upfront and long-term sponsorship packages have gone a long way to cushion the blow, but the scatter market is all but paralytic, as many key categories have practically shut down. [MediaWeek]
• Online ad market grinds to a halt according to a report on TechCrunch; looking at the ad revenue numbers posted by GOOG, YHOO, AOL, and MSN reveals how far growth fell in Q3 vs. Q2. [TechCrunch]
• TV land trouble; development-dollar flow is slowing to a trickle. Already tight-fisted from the migration of viewers and advertising dollars to other mediums, broadcast networks are now cutting development costs in the face of perhaps the most challenging economic environment the TV industry has ever experienced. That's resulted in fewer pilots being bought and network executives taking fewer risks at a time when television can't afford to remain stagnant. [New York Post]