Ending a much-heralded effort to expand into the radio broadcast space, Google now says it’s getting out of radio, phasing out Google Audio Ads and AdSense for Audio products and selling its radio automation business.
“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,” wrote Google VP Product Management Susan Wojcicki in the announcement, posted on the Google TV and Audio Ad blog.
Google says it will exit radio and focus its efforts on delivering relevant ads for online streaming audio. It will continue to invest in its growing TV advertising business. Some of the employees affected by the change will transfer over to the online and TV projects; however “we expect that up to 40 people may not be able to find other roles at Google,” wrote Wojcicki.
Advertisers will continue to be able to use Google Audio Ads until May 31 and broadcasters will be able to publish inventory to Google until that date as well.
When the company launched Google Audio Ads and Google Radio Automation in 2006, it said its goal was to create a new revenue stream for broadcast radio, produce more relevant advertising for listeners and streamline the buying and selling of radio ads. Its entry drew a great deal of attention and speculation in radio ad circles, and the company has had a high profile among radio exhibitors at NAB conventions since.
