New Zealand television advertising revenue is clawing its way back from the lows seen last year, with a 2.9 percent rise in the first quarter of the year, reports The National Business Review. According to figures released by the New Zealand Television Broadcasters’ Council (NZTBC), NZ$122 million (US$87 million) was spent on television advertising in the first three months of 2010, compared to NZ$118.6 million (US$85 million) in the same period last year. NZBTC chief executive Rick Freisen said the increase showed confidence returning to the free-to-air television market and that advertisers using the medium were “enjoying continuing and increasing effectiveness for their advertising dollar”. But the lift is coming off a low base, with total 2009 media advertising spending down by NZ$272 million (US$195 million). Television advertising spend dropped by 11.9 percent to NZ$570 million (US$408 million) during last year – the lowest ad spend on television since 2002, according to figures released by the Advertising Standards Authority. However, television advertising has held up better than spending in newspapers, which dropped 18 percent last year, according to the report.