So far at least, networks feel little pain

There's good reason to think broadcast television would be having a lousy fall as the ad economy slumps. But so far the networks aren't doing all that badly. That's because money is coming in from the robust upfront ad market in late spring and early summer, when the broadcasters locked up orders for $9.3 billion, a year-to-year increase of just over 1 percent. Of course, all this could change in the coming few weeks. Spooked by the rough economy, advertisers could decide to begin canceling for the quarter, with up to a fourth of those orders subject to cancellation. The networks, mindful of advertisers' concerns, are giving them more time than usual to decide whether to back out of their upfront commitments.