Magazine publishers had been anticipating a slowdown in advertising for more than a year, and now the numbers are proving them correct.

First quarter national magazine advertising spending slipped 1.3 percent over the same period last year, according to the Nielsen Company’s Monitor–Plus advertising information service. B-to-B advertising declined 6.1 percent. Nielsen says it tracks 270 consumer magazines and 815 business publications.

Overall advertising spending in the U.S. remained flat in the quarter with 0.5 percent growth, the report said.

Local Sunday supplements took the hardest hit, dropping 13.5 percent. National newspapers declined by 6.2 percent.

Meanwhile, national Sunday supplements saw the greatest gains, increasing 19.2 percent.

Cable television advertising rose 12.9 percent while network television fell 3.4 percent. Network radio saw a 10 percent gain while spot radio dropped 4.9 percent.

According to Nielsen, the Monitor-Plus service compiles advertising activity across 18 media outlets, tracking in the 210 designated market areas. Globally, it measures advertising in 30 markets, representing 85 percent of the world’s advertising spending.

ROUGH START