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Google, Clear Channel Ink Long-Term
Deal
JULIANA BARBASSA
AP
Monday April 16, 2007
Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG) and Clear Channel Communications Inc.
(CCU) (CCU) announced a long-term agreement Sunday that will allow
the Internet search leader to place advertising for its online customers
on more than 675 Clear Channel radio stations.
"This radio partnership with Clear Channel is a pretty big
statement that Google is in the radio industry to stay and have
a big impact," said Drew Hilles, Google Audio's national sales
director.
The agreement will give Google advertisers that had not relied
on radio direct access to Clear Channel's national distribution
system through an easy-to-use interface, Hilles said.
It will also allow those customers to target their campaigns, reaching
particular audiences in targeted locations at specific times, and
to get quick feedback about their campaigns, he said.
"This is a true win-win," John Hogan, chief executive
of Clear Channel's radio division, said in a statement. "Clear
Channel Radio gets access to an entirely new group of advertisers
within a new and complementary sales channel, and Google adds another
option for its existing customers."
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The move represents Google's latest effort to take its online advertising
clout to other media.
Although the majority of the company's $10.6 billion in revenue
last year came from Internet ads, Google has made previous ventures
into print, radio and television advertising.
The initial test for Google Print Ads, a Web-based marketplace
meant to connect newspapers with advertisers, was launched in November
and includes more than 100 advertisers and 70 of the country's top
newspapers.
In December, Google started testing a radio advertising service
meant to reach hundreds of radio stations nationwide. The company
is slowly adding advertisers to the service, though Google didn't
make clear how many advertisers are involved so far, nor did it
set a timetable for opening the service to all.
With Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio station owner, on
board, Google's advertisers will be able to access about 1,600 stations
though the Audio Ads service, company representatives said.
Last month, Google announced a partnership with EchoStar Communications
Corp. (DISH), whose Dish network is the second largest satellite
service in the U.S.
The alliance was expected to show that the automated formula that
runs Google's successful online advertising network can also work
to bring advertisers to a long-established platform such a satellite
TV.
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