Google's radio ad tests hit snag -- analyst

[poster_boy]

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Google Inc.'s nascent radio advertisement business, known as Google Audio, has run into an unexpected snag: it seems Google doesn't have access to enough radio airtime for would-be advertisers to thoroughly test out the initiative, an analyst said Monday.

But help may be on the way for this supposed problem. Several news reports Monday claimed that Google is deep into negotiations to buy a large swath of airtime from CBS Radio.

By doing so, Google could stave off the domino-like effect of the airtime shortage, which may mean delays introducing Google Audio to a much broader audience, RBC Capital Markets analyst Jordan Rohan said Monday.

Until Google can strike a deal with CBS, or some other radio giant, "there will be no significant impact until mid-2007" on Google's bottom line, or the radio industry in general, Rohan said in his research note.

MarketWatch [marketwatch.com]

[jtara]

I thought this was supposed to be matching buyers and sellers, though?

And there were only going to be a small number of buyers (8, I think?) in the test. They can't get enough ad time for 8 buyers?

Google's lame attempt at selling print ads involved Google buying ad space, as well.