Mountain View (CA) - As part of a cost-cutting campaign, Google announced yesterday it will shut down a multi-year effort designed to migrate its online marketing prowess to newspapers. The change will take effect February 28, 2009.





In November 2006, Google developed a system which allowed would-be advertisers to bid online for sections of unfilled spaces in participating newspapers. Currently about 800 U.S. newspapers are enrolled in Google's advertising program, which use the service to fill portions of their printed newspapers with Google ads.



Spencer Spinnell, Google's newspaper ad program director, said, "While we hoped that print ads would create a new revenue stream for newspapers and produce more relevant advertising for consumers, the product has not created the impact that we - or our partners - wanted."



Google has pledged to help newspapers find alternate sources of revenue as their program ceases on February 28, 2009. Google still has an active radio and television ad selling program which will remain open.



See the original AP article republished on Yahoo Tech.