US spending on Internet ads was dragged down by the dire economy in the first half of 2009, according to a report which has been released by Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. US online advertising revenue for the first six months of the year tallied EUR 10.9bn, a 5.3 percent drop from the same period in 2008, the IAB and PwC analysis concluded. Revenue related to Internet search advertising reportedly rose slightly to top USD 5.1bn dollars in encouraging news for Google, the undisputed king of that market. Video advertising has been surging despite tough economic conditions, according to IAB and PwC. Spending on online classified advertising and email related ads sagged, the report indicated.
http://www.ejc.net/media_news/economy_erodes_internet_advertising_revenue/