Channel 5 is gaining importance in the record industry's media-buying plans, with music campaigns advertised on the channel rising by 44% year-on-year during the first nine months of 2001.

Although the station still only commanded a small percentage of the total £14.0m spent in the third quarter, compared with ITV1 and Channel 4, figures newly compiled by Mediacom show record company spend on the channel in the nine months to September has increased by a massive 90%.

Mediacom associate director ...