• Adweek, Monday, March 15, 2010 11:15 PM

Network heads expect a strong upfront market, based on current demand for scatter time and the fact few advertisers are opting out of earlier purchase commitments. Agencies were more circumspect in their assessments. CBS chief Les Moonves told a Credit Suisse investors conference last week that the Tiffany network will demand "strong double-digit" price hikes during this year's upfront talks, based on its popular programming schedule -- including Tuesday night stalwart "NCIS" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." In scatter, advertisers are paying between 20% and 30% more for ads than they paid for 2009 upfront inventory, but it's no guarantee of higher upfront pricing.

Networks, countered buyers, are no longer must-buys given other outlets on which to place dollars. They also point to continuing network erosion of the audiences most coveted by advertisers. A season-to-date analysis through mid-February by Havas' MPG of Nielsen ratings shows that the 18-to-49s across CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox dropped 2%. (CBS, however, is up in the demo by 3%.)

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