A few days after its newspaper sibling A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC) reported narrowing its losses, local broadcaster Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC) posted some very healthy profits and revenue numbers. Among them was a 14 percent jump to $8.1 million in online revenues tied to its 20 TV station websites. The Dallas company’s surging revenues and profits are signs that unlike the relative softness of ad budgets throughout the rest of the media industry, local broadcast is experiencing a real recovery in advertising.
Despite the deepening uncertainty of the economy at large, local broadcast should continue to remain high through the end of 2010. That’s due in part to the pent up demand this year and significant lows in ’09. But most importantly, this year’s earlier Supreme Court ruling striking down barriers to political ad spending from corporations is expected to open up the flood gates to candidates in even the least hotly contested races.

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