Paced in part by record online ad sales, newspapers last year sold $48.2 billion in advertising, 4.5 percent over 2003 figures, according to preliminary estimates released by the Newspaper Association of America.

Papers sold $1.5 billion in online ads in 2004, the NAA, said, a 26.7 percent increase. Subtracting online revenues, newspapers sold $46.7 billion in advertising, a 3.9 percent boost from 2003, NAA said.  

Print classified advertising rose 5.1 percent to $16.6 billion while national ad spending rose 3.7 percent to $8.1 billion, the NAA said. Retailers lifted their ad spending in newspapers 3.1 percent to $22 billion.

For the fourth quarter, newspapers posted $14.1 billion in electronic and print ads, up 4.7 percent from the year-ago period.

Print advertising accounted for $13.7 billion of the total, a 4.2 percent increase from fourth quarter 2003 totals.

Classified advertising led the way with a 5.2 percent spending increase to $5.1 billion. National ad spending increased 3.6 percent to $2.2 billion and retail spending rose 3.7 percent to $6.5 billion.

Quarterly Web ad revenues accounted for $416 million, a 24 percent jump.

“Fourth quarter ad performance was solid across the three major categories in what has otherwise been a spotty advertising market recovery,” said NAA President and Chief Executive Officer John F. Sturm.