NPR Launching Centralized Online Ad Network

Aim Is To Bolster Revenue at Member Stations

While NPR is facing funding battles in Congress, the public radio network has been quietly laying the groundwork for a nationwide online advertising network that could massively increase underwriting dollars at member stations.

According to a posting by Neal Ungerleider at fastcompany.com, the move is part of a much larger and audacious plan on NPR's part: The idea that local public radio affiliates can be transformed into news portals on par with local newspapers.

As for the advertising network, NPR's new project one-ups Google and other giants of the online ad industry. One of the keystones of the network will be the ability for NPR to place locally targeted sponsorship buys inside audio streams--essentially allowing advertisements to be placed inside live streams of NPR affiliate programming.

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