'UP' SIDE DOWN: TV ADVERTISERS HOLD BACK FOR INTERNET DEALS

The annual TV “upfront” ad sales season kicks off in just a few weeks, but advertisers are in no rush to make a deal.

With a dizzying array of alternatives and disagreements over audience measurement, advertisers expect the ad bazaar to be unusually complicated and drawn out this year.

The haggling will start in May, when the major broadcast networks – including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox – sell the bulk of their commercial time for the new fall season. It used to be a buying frenzy that wrapped up in a matter of days.

But advertisers said the upfront is no longer just about the 30-second spot. More marketers are holding out for digital deals involving the Internet, product placements and marketing tie-ins.