New York, NY (March 12, 2004) Total magazine advertising revenue for the month of February 2004 increased 4.6%, compared to February of last year, closing at $1,307,551,159, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB). Ad pages for February totaled 14,638.80, closing at -5% over February 2003.  Year-to-date, advertising revenue closed at $2,325,737,198, an increase of 7.2%, with ad pages showing a 2.7% decline at -27,417.53 versus last year.   “Pervasive uncertainty over the economy led to advertiser cautiousness during fourth quarter, when marketing decisions were made for first quarter titles,” remarked Harlan Schwarz, Senior Vice President/Advertising Marketing, Magazine Publishers of America.  “We believe that magazines will benefit as the economy gains momentum.”   February 2004 vs. 2003 Eight of the 12 major advertising categories recorded dollar gains in February. Public Transportation, Hotels & Resorts, Apparel & Accessories, and Technology were the top three gainers in revenue, with Automotive, Drugs & Remedies and Direct Response exhibiting the greatest declines in paging.  (Twelve categories are the most significant contributors to PIB revenue, comprising more than 85% of total advertising spending.) January – February 2004 vs. 2003 Year-to-date, all but one of the 12 major advertising categories experienced an increase in revenue over February 2003.  Of note, double-digit gains were seen in Public Transportation, Hotels & Resorts, Apparel & Accessories and Toiletries & Cosmetics.  Automotive, Technology, Financial, Insurance & Real Estate and Retail recorded the biggest declines in pages.