Mr. Swallen of TNS

Weak economy be damned: those seeking a scapegoat behind ad spend decline need only look to the internet.

According to Jon Swallen, SVP of research at TNS Media Intelligence, the downturn in ad spend results from advertisers moving traditional media budgets to the 'net. That shift is powered by higher accountability rates in online advertising. Couple that with a poor economy and low cost of entry, and it is no wonder advertisers came to find it very attractive, , reports MediaPost.

Swallen's statement followed a TNS report showing ad spend rose 0.6 percent in Q1 of 2008. And while network TV's quarterly gain was the highest in two years, the overall sluggish rate of growth is troubling, given that 2008 hosts both a Presidential election and the Summer Olympic Games: two events that typically contribute to inflated promotional spending.

But Swallen claims slower growth is a sign of the new norm, with media habits having fundamentally changed for both viewers and ad buyers.

"It looks like we're in a period now where zero to 3 percent growth is the normal parameter, rather than the historical 3 percent to 5 percent growth," he said.

Fueling the fire, the IDC found online ad spend has not been affected by the country's economic slump.