Channel 4 is bracing itself for a particularly arduous period of negotiation as it seeks to convince advertisers to pay top dollar for advertising slots amidst a perceived lack of hit new series.
Armed with hit shows such as Come Dine With Me and Deal or no Deal the broadcaster will attempt to establish upfront advertising airtime deals for the year ahead with media buying agencies.
Their task is made all the harder however by recent ratings showing its shows losing some of their allure, particularly amongst the prized 16-34 demographic, endangering the broadcasters slice of the £3.5bn per annum UK TV advertising market.
Channel 4 has been hit by a 3.5% decline in viewers in the year ending end of October, with 16 to 34 year olds particularly hard hit with an 8% fall.
Some shows have fared even worse with the Million Pound Drop falling 30% and Come Dine With Me off by 28% in the ratings.
Channel 4 argues that when its overall performance is taken into account, including channels such as E4, More4 and Film4, its market share is holding up well.
Rival networks including ITV and Channel 5 have also been hit by declining audiences this year, with ITV1 dipping by 5.8% over the year, worse than Channel 4.