4Q08 saw US ad spend fall steeply, down 9.2% from the year-earlier period, according to TNS Media Intelligence (via MediaBuyerPlanner).

That's twice the 4.1% drop for the year as a whole. TNS said spend shall continue to fall steeply in 2009. Total spending for the year was $141.7 billion.

Auto advertisers sliced spending by 15% to $2.3 billion last year, while the country's largest advertiser, Procter & Gamble, hacked spending 7%, to $3.2 billion. Of the 12 categories tracked by TNS, all but three were down: restaurant, food & candy and local services.

Spending for financial services stayed mostly flat, down 0.3% for the year.

Newspapers fell 11.8% for the year and a numbing 16.5% for the quarter, while radio slipped 10.3% for the year and 14.8% for the quarter. Magazines were down 7.5% for the year and 13.9% for the quarter (via Media Life).

The internet saw spending jump 4.6% for the year and 7% for the fourth quarter. Free-standing inserts were also up, 5% in the fourth quarter and 1.8% for the year.

Ad spending for 2009 is predicted to be down anywhere from 8.3% (Zenith Optimedia) to 9% (JP Morgan) to 9.8% (Carat).