• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 13, 2011

That's how Donna Speciale, President, Investment & Activation and Agency Operations, MediaVest USA, explains a lot of the surge in demand for the TV scatter marketplace, and predictions of a strong upfront.

"There are a lot of other categories that are going to lend themselves to, guess, what, advertising works," Speciale said, citing an explosion of spending by technology marketers like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, as well as insurance marketers like GEICO.

"Ratings are down," she said, explaining another factor pushing prices up. "We have more demand, and we have greater supply. That's just the way it goes."

NBC Universal cable sales chief Dave Cassaro echoed Speciale's category demand explanation, adding that even mainstays like automotive and packaged goods are surging, albeit for different reasons. Autos are releasing new car models, and packaged goods are rebounding from recessionary spending levels.