Will more car dealers advertise on YouTube instead of buying expensive TV commercials?

Local television stations have been hard hit by our current economic meltdown; as evidence, note that Channel 9, whose newscasts have topped the ratings for the better part of three decades, recently declined to renew the contracts of two prominent personalities, anchor Bob Kendrick and forecaster Nick Carter. And the video above suggests that the situation will get worse before it improves. Automobile commercials generate much of the revenue for stations, but with car sales cratering, dealers lke Osborn Automotive are looking for less expensive places to advertise — like, for instance, YouTube. The spot above (for a 2005 Dodge Durango SLT) is just one of several Osborn has posted on the ubiquitous website of late, and every spot that appears online may well translate to less dough for TV outlets. Looks like contract negotiations for on-air talent just got tougher.