In swift talks, TV networks win big ad price rises

ABC, NBC and CBS are on the brink of wrapping up their advanced television advertising sales, winning double-digit price increases nearly across the board in one of the quickest selling periods on record.

While Fox has already polished off its sales, the other three big broadcast networks could finish their deals by Thursday, according to industry sources. CBS should emerge with the biggest increases for its prime-time shows, with rates up between 14 percent and 15 percent from a year ago, the sources said. Stronger prices were widely expected during this year's upfront -- so called because the dealmaking is completed months before the fall TV season gets underway -- in light of fatter corporate marketing budgets and a general rebound in advertising spending. Still, there were doubts the broadcast networks could pull off double digit increases, a rarity even before the recession. The U.S. economy is still on tricky footing and the auto industry's marketing plans have been upended by Japan's troubles.