The upfront is about to break. Or not. This may be the week buyers and the networks cut ad deals for the coming broadcast season. But the stalemate could go yet longer.   Why this upfront market is at a standstill The broadcast networks are sticking by price increases, even in this weak economy, and truth be told, it's a sellers' market   Readers: We're making it through this Media planners and buyers report fewer job cuts than one might expect, and morale, while hurting, appears to be holding up   GM: No more major spending cuts Automaker will spend up to $50 million per month, even with current spending, as it emerges from bankruptcy, but well off from past years   Now for a really grim ad forecast PwC warns spending may never recover as dollars continue to shift to digital media from less-cost-efficient traditional media   Why this ad recovery will be a long one Ad budgets are tied to corporate profits, not sales, and their recovery is some ways off. Talking with TNS's Jon Swallen.   One of the few bright spots: Cinema ads Ad spending kept growing in 2008 as so much else slowed, as improved technologies made the medium more attractive to advertisers   Job outlook brightens for media buyers Some agencies are beginning to beef up media departments, even as others continue to cut, as an early sign that recovery is in sight   Upfront game plan: Go for the bucks Buyers say networks are looking for price increases in the range of 5 percent, and they'll likely hold back inventory to get them   Yet more bad news on the first quarter TNS reports a 14 percent decline in ad spending over the first three months of 2009 and a poor start for the second quarter next >>