Are your buys being frozen? Once you or your buyer places a media schedule, especially on television, there may be make-goods offered for preemptions especially in high demand areas such as news and if special events such as The Olympics, NCAA March Madness, and other events impact the availability of inventory. Some of those make-goods may not be of equal value or qualitative impact once your buy is posted (comparing what was ordered versus what was delivered). There are two things to consider: the first is to have your orders state a “no make goods policy” unless caused by a weather emergency, news event such as a Presidential conference, or something truly beyond the control of the station. If you want to stop all the preemptions, just stipulate on your order in writing that you will take a “credit” (take the money back and spend it on another station in the market) instead of make-goods. Often times, stations will bump other clients and run what you originally ordered. The second consideration is, if you are willing to take make-goods, is to be sure that what you wound up with was equal to or greater than what you ordered. This is known as posting, comparing your original buy to what the station actually delivered in terms of rating points and any other qualitative measurement that was part of your buy. Bottom line: don’t subject yourself to the whims of a station’s inventory system unless you are made whole or better.