Recovery likely to fuel ad growth.(Business)

Byline: SETH SUTEL Associated Press

NEW YORK - Advertising spending seems set to grow at a robust pace next year as the economic recovery continues, even without the windfall from the Summer Olympics and the presidential election that triggered a surge in spending this year, a leading ad forecaster said Monday.

Bob Coen, a senior vice president at Universal McCann, pre dicted that U.S. advertising would rise 6.4 percent next year to $280.6 billion as national advertisers loosen their purse strings following several years of restraint. Local advertising, however, will be weaker as major local advertisers such as retailers remain cautious. The 2005 growth …