Google is now shutting down its radio advertising business. This comes about a month after Google announced the shut down of its print advertising business, not to mention Google Notebook, Jaiku, Google Catalog Search, Mashup Editor, Dodgeball, and uploading to Google Video.
“In 2006, we launched Google Audio Ads and Google Radio Automation to create a new revenue stream for broadcast radio, produce more relevant advertising for listeners and streamline the buying and selling of radio ads,” says Google’s Susan Wojcicki, VP, Product Management. “While we’ve devoted substantial resources to developing these products and learned a lot along the way, we haven’t had the impact we hoped for.”
However, don’t count Google out of the audio world entirely. They are simply shifting focus to streaming audio.
“We are dedicating a team of people at Google to explore how we can best add value for advertisers, broadcasters and listeners in this emerging advertising space,” explains Wojcicki. “In addition, we will continue to invest in our growing TV advertising business, where we can measure audience response and help advertisers understand how effective their ads are.”
The fact that she calls the TV advertising business “growing” is probably a good sign that that part of Google’s advertising business is not going down the same path as the radio one yet. Frankly, I can’t see an AdWords-based television advertising platform not being popular enough to keep.
Advertisers will continue to be able to use Google Audio Ads until May 31. Broadcasters will also be able to publish inventory to Google until then.
