Google announced Thursday, Feb 12th 2009 that it is discontinuing its Google Audio Ads and Google Radio Automation programs, which were launched in 2006 in an effort to help broadcast radio stations sell more advertising.

Earlier this year, Google dropped a similar program to help newspapers sell print advertising. Susan Wojcicki, Google’s VP-product management, said in a blog discussing the shutdown of Google Audio Ads: “… we have decided to exit the broadcast radio business and focus our efforts in online streaming audio. We will phase out the existing Google Audio Ads and AdSense for Audio products and plan to sell the Google Radio Automation business, the software that automates broadcast radio programming. 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.”

Looks like the internet continues to disrupt traditional media, (radio this time). I think Google recognizes that more consumers are migrating to streaming audio and podcasts because of the huge choice of internet radio stations and the advantage of  asynchronous listening.

In my humble opinion radio broadcast is the next traditional media to have its audience disinter-mediated by the internet. It’s already happened to the newspaper industry.

Radio Broadcasters…are you listening…

Mark Hughes