Cable may take a larger share of the pie in a kids upfront ruled by caution and ROI

The kids upfront just isn't what it used to be. While the annual round of pitch presentations by U.S. kids networks to advertisers and agencies is still obviously relevant, the fast-paced flurry of activity--where the majority of the year's ad space is snapped up in a short period of time--has relaxed somewhat over the past several years. Blame it on the weak economy and uncertainty in the marketplace, if you will, but the financial risks of making upfront decisions in haste are just too great for most media buyers. Advertisers are willing and able, in many cases, to wait before deciding where to put their limited ad dollars.