Advertising Turnaround for Media?

It's been a gloomy couple of years for the media. Advertising has plummeted. Layoffs mount upon layoffs. But today, some reason for hope. A new survey from marketing firm Advertiser Perceptions Inc. suggests that companies, for the first time in a long time, are projecting upticks in advertising spending in the coming months.

The projections are rosiest - no surprise - for mobile, online, cable television and outdoor advertising. There is still pessimism around broadcast television, radio, magazine and national newspapers - but confidence is at least growing in those sectors.

Local newspapers? Well, that's the one category with a pessimistic outlook that is still getting worse.

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes for anything approaching a rebound in Providence media, given that Rhode Island has sustained a particularly cruel blow in this economic downturn.