TV Networks still angling for advertising

Network executives are searching for some sparklers in their sales divisions, and hopefully before the Fourth of July holiday.

June is usually the time of year when the broadcasters ring up billions of dollars in commercial sales for the coming television season. But that hasn't happened so far this year. Declining audiences, an extremely fragile economy and bankruptcy filings by cash-strapped U.S. automakers – traditionally among the biggest TV advertisers – have made it more difficult for network executives this spring to sell commercial time. By this time last June, the networks had already booked more than $9 billion in prime-time advertising commitments in the so-called "upfront" market.

Now a month after unveiling their new fall shows as bait, the networks still haven’t hooked any big-fish advertisers. Network executives declined to discuss the situation at length, but acknowledged that although their lines have been empty, they expect ... hope ... the upfront auction to begin with a big boom within the next few weeks. 

-- Meg James

Comments

[Carman N. Keddy]

That's an easy solve. Have things on-air that will be the really big spectacle show people will need sit go see. For instance I myself have one of those as based on my script for my own (and own trademarked) new gonna be tres super sensation superhero SUNMAN tm (a world of) based feature movie for TV, ready to go and be done right now, this very minute. TV, you gotta really got get in there and complete, swing some knockout punches, if you want to take on mega movie Hollywood, free reign cable, and the world wild and woolly Internet. So.., the big events really are on (name whatever major network channel)!