Michael Learmonth at the Silicon Alley Insider just may be my brother from another mother (and in this case, Bill’s too).  Learmonth highlights some of the reasons why all that’s glittery may not be as golden as it seems.

Learmonth writes:

The message from the TV networks this month: No slump here! They’re now claiming that they’ve sold $9.23 billion in “upfront” sales for the comming year, up from $9.12 billion last year. Each broadcast network is reporting that they’re getting higher rates for their ads, even as overall ratings shrink. Even the lowly CW, tapped for possible closure by the WSJ, is boasting of 6% to 8% ad rate increases.

True? Maybe. As we’ve noted before, these upfront sales numbers are unaudited bits of boasting. But for argument’s sake, let’s stipulate that they’re accurate, which would mean that big brand advertisers don’t think they have real alternatives to TV — yet.

Read the rest on Silicon Alley Insider.