Ad spending in the first six months of 2006 totaled $72.98 billion, 4.1 percent more than the year-ago period, writes BtoB Online, citing a TNS Media Intelligence report.

Internet ad spending (not including search) totaled $4.69 billion, up 18.9 percent over the first half of 2005 - and accounting for 6.4 percent of the market, up from 5.6 percent in the first half of 2005. Network TV ad spend was up 5.7 percent, to $12.28 billion, in 1H06. Ad spending in b-to-b magazines was down 1.1 percent, totaling $2.18 billion.

Political spending in the second half the year should help bolster the third and fourth quarters and total-year results, predicted Steven Fredericks, president-CEO of TNS MI, reports Media Post. And the biggest growth is coming from Spanish-language TV, along with the internet.

The leading ad category was telecommunications with $4.7 billion in spending in the first half, up 16.6 percent. Financial services spend was $4.33 billion, up 7.9 percent.