Ten Network Holdings Limited’s (TEN) chairman, Nick Falloon, said at its AGM that it was seeing improvements in the Australian advertising market and was benefiting from a stronger 2009 ratings performance in negotiations with advertising groups for next year.

"Network Ten has substantially completed its negotiations for 2010 with the major buying groups,” Mr Falloon said.

”These negotiations, coupled with our strong ratings performance in 2009, support our ongoing goal of achieving a 30 per cent share of revenue,"

The network's primary channel, TEN, was the only network to achieve share and audience gains in total people in the 2009 television ratings survey, the company added.

Mr Falloon said that despite the upturn in the economy there would still be a strong focus on cost controls.

"On a normalised basis, we expect the increase in television costs (ex selling) in 2010 to be in line with CPI,” Mr Falloon added.

The board said it had not decided on a dividend policy for the half-year to 31 December 2009. 

At the open Thursday, Ten shares were $1.54.