The Northeast market has weakened after several years of strong sales led to overbuilding.

No one is certain how much the Northeast market will decline.

"The Northeast market, New York and the surrounding areas, is the largest and most conservative pizza market in the country," he said.

Shortly after he established Boston Properties in 1970, the Northeast market began to rise.

Roush said the partnership would give Nascar and his team sponsors a greater presence in the lucrative but still untapped Northeast market.

In broadcasting, operating profit dropped because of "the softness of the Northeast market," while revenue held steady, the company said.

But despite the cost of mortgages, the sluggish Northeast market posted the only gain in April.

"An awful lot of weakness has developed in the Northeast market, while the West has been surging," he added.

He had said he envisioned building Marketspan into a diversified energy company to dominate the Northeast market.

Mr. Klugman said the 60-second commercial and a corresponding radio version would begin running in Northeast markets today and continue indefinitely.