CBS, which had been holding out for higher prices in TV upfront advertising market, has begun doing business and getting increases bigger than those recorded by Fox, which opened the market.
The Tiffany network had come down from its asking price of 18%, but is doing deals that market sources said ranged between 14% and 15% rate increases on a cost-per-thousand viewers (CPM) basis.
Fox which Thursday said it had finished its upfront sales, registered price increases in the 10%-to-11% range. But it was also able to score a 10% increase in the volume of business it did and put advertisers into The X Factor, which is expected draw both high prices and high ad rates.
On Thursday, CBS CEO Les Moonves spoke at an investor conference where he reinforced the network's stance that it would not accept the price increases Fox got.
ABC has also done deals with the majority of the media agencies, according to sources, who say ABC is getting price increases at the low end of double digits.
