Local and national online ad revenue for the newspaper surged 57 percent for the quarter, while online classified ad revenue grew 25 percent.

But, while online showed strength, it was still just a small fraction of the total newspaper revenue for the quarter. Overall, the newspaper publishing division took in $245.6 million--representing a 4 percent increase from the second quarter of 2005.

Still, the Post's online ad revenues grew faster than some of its rivals. At The New York Times Co., for instance, online ad revenue for The New York Times Media Group, New England Media Group, and Regional Media Group grew 25 percent in the second quarter.

The Post Co., which owns Newsweek and online magazine Slate.com, has experimented with a variety of cutting-edge online initiatives. For instance, the company recently forged a deal to place a news search engine on its sites, which directs visitors to other news sites. The feature enables visitors to read a WashingtonPost.com story and then immediately search for and read a rival's version of the same story. While the service sends traffic to WashingtonPost.com competitors, it also potentially increases traffic to the Post because visitors who hit their browser's back button will return to the site.

In addition, Slate now offers two new ad units, thanks to a recent redesign--the site's first in three years. In the last year, the online magazine has tested several new offerings, including launching an ad-supported novel , and arranging for a user-initiated front page takeover for PBS's "Texas Ranch House."

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