“Ad spending in 2009 came in at $125.3 billion, a drop of 12.3 percent compared to the prior year,” the report says, according to Crain’s New York Business.

“The good news was that fourth-quarter ad spending fell by only 6 percent. In addition, preliminary numbers for the first quarter of 2010 show most media categories doing better than they were a year ago, said Jon Swallen, a senior vice president at Kantar Media.”

This is worse than a previous report from Medill Reports that said overall U.S. advertising spending was down 9 percent for the year last year. (Kantar isn’t limiting its number to the U.S., perhaps.)

According to Kantar Media, “radio fell 20.3 percent, local television plunged 23.7 percent, magazines dropped 17.4 percent and newspapers 19.7 percent.” Network television was down 7.6 percent for the year but turned around in the fourth quarter to rise 4.1 percent. Cable TV was  down just 1.4 percent.

Internet display advertising rose 7.3 percent.

“The biggest turnaround may be taking place among newspapers,” Crain’s says. “According to Mr. Swallen, advertising is flat so far this year, which puts the category on track to record its best quarter in two-and-a-half years.”