With three of the four major broadcast networks showing significant ratings declines since the start of the TV season in late September, they have been doling out make-goods, particularly in the month of December. That means they are giving back ad time that they cannot sell in what as known as the scatter ad market. Only CBS is doing well enough in prime time that it has not yet had to give out make-goods, so it has been able to sell more of its remaining ad inventory.

Image Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS, which is up 1 percent in viewership. Major TV networks still draw advertisers dollars. Credit... John Paul Filo/CBS

”We have zero make-goods,” said Leslie Moonves, president and chief executive of the CBS Corporation, of his broadcast network’s prime-time performance. “Demand is not what we would like it to be. And scatter pricing is basically flat with what the upfront pricing was.” Last year at this time, it was as much as 40 percent higher.

But Mr. Moonves said that not having had to give make-goods so far this season has put CBS in a better position than the other networks to sell more ad inventory now and in 2009, if advertisers remain interested.

While they are short of available inventory to sell because of make-goods, both ABC and Fox said that heading into the first quarter of 2009, each would be scheduling programming that would raise their ratings and enable them to sell more advertising in the scatter market.

Fox will have its annual ratings juggernaut “American Idol,” while ABC has five new scripted prime-time shows it will introduce from January to March.

“We’re maintaining our business and have not been faced with any type of major cancellations,” said Jon Nesvig, sales president for Fox Broadcasting. “First-quarter upfront retention was over 95 percent, and we’re selling scatter for first quarter at upfront pricing or slightly better. We have not renegotiated any deals. Everybody has many concerns going forward, but we’re hoping for the best.”