Newspaper ad boost.

U.S. newspaper advertising will rise 4.3 percent this year. more than double 2005's growth, helped by a jump in political ad spending, according to a new report from market researcher TNS Media Intelligence.

The cheerier forecast can't come soon enough for the owners of the Los Angeles Times. Chicago-based Tribune Co., which reported that full-run advertising volume at the Times fell 14 percent to $266,000 in the five weeks ending Dec. 25 compared to a year ago, continuing a trend seen the entire year. That drop contributed to a 6 percent decline in revenues for the Tribune, the nation's second-largest newspaper owner.

Tribune, whose holdings include 26 television stations. II urban U.S. dailies, and the Spanish language Hoy paper, said December revenue fell to $539 million from $574 million a year earlier.

Advertising revenue in the Tribune's publishing division fell 4.5 percent to $333 million. with full-run advertising at the Tribune's flagship, the Chicago Tribune, down 2.8 percent. The decline included a 5.2 percent overall decrease in retail ad revenue and a 9.6 percent decline in national ad revenue, mainly at the L.A. Times.

The bright spot for the parent company was a 2.5 percent rise in classified ad revenue. In addition, preprint advertising at the Times rose 5.6 percent in the period.

In its 2006 forecast released last week, New York-based TNS Media Intelligence said gains in newspaper advertising this year will still trail Hispanic network television (10.4 percent projected growth), the Internet (9il percent) and cable network television (8.4 percent).

Total U.S. advertising spending is expected to increase 5.4 percent in 2006 to $152.3 billion, according to TNS, which estimates that advertising grew 3 percent in 2005.