Virginia Financial Firm Predicts $438.9-million in TV Ad Revenue for Tampa Bay Market in 2008

Just got an email from Virginia-based BIA Financial Network, which is pushing its comprehensive Investing in Television ownership report and investing guide by giving the media some revenue projections on every TV market in the country.

I haven't closely examined their methodology, so I don't know whether these numbers mean much. But they predict a 13 percent rise in TV ad revenue in the Tampa Bay market this year, mostly due to political commercials, up to $438.9-million.

Their figures also estimate who got what percentage of the $388-million they believe TV stations earned here in 2006. According to their figures, WTVT-Ch. 13 got the most, 24.1 percent, followed by WFLA-Ch. 8's Media General (23.9 percent), WTSP'Ch. 10's Gannett Co. (16.3 percent) and WFTS-Ch. 28's E.W. Scripps Co. (12.8 percent).

So the next time somebody says local TV stations aren't making enough money, remember these estimates...