AUTOMAKERS AND THE FORCE ARE WITH THE SPOT MARKET: SPOT TV TARGETS 5%: LOCAL TV STATIONS LOOK TO MILLENNIUM PACKAGES TO DRAW SPARE DOLLARS.

Advertising Age, May, 1999 by Blankenhorn, Dana

Prices in the spot market are expected to rise as high as 5% over last year with automobile marketers expected to pump up the third quarter.

Last year, hot political races added zip to spot sales, but this year that won't have any impact on supply and price. General Motors Corp. should get a lot of the credit for the strong quarter, says Michael Hugger, president of Katz Media Group, New York.

"GM will come back and spend, and the other auto nameplates know what GM is trying to accomplish, so they'll step up to the plate. I think auto will be a strong category," says Mr. Hugger.

`STAR WARS'

The third quarter should also get a boost after the release of LucasFilms "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," he says.

"There are tangents...

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