[ml/nj]

I think it works the opposite - the stations buy the programming, then sell their own ads in the slots not prealotted to the national ads.

Maybe. But then someone has purchased those "prealotted slots" and expects them to be heard in Balmer.

ML/NJ

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Any prepaid monies are either refunded or applied to other programs at a lower rate.

My guess is that every station has a zillion different "outs" written into every contract - bad PR and principal host absence being at the top of that list.