TargetSpot Harpoons Harpo Deal

Dr. Oz

Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Radio has signed a deal with online ad network TargetSpot for online radio ad sales prior to the launch of its new online presence, HarpoRadio.com, which is set to debut on April 26.

The deal gives TargetSpot access to streaming audio advertising inventory on HarpoRadio.com, which -- if Winfrey's previous media ventures are any indication -- will almost certainly attract a large online audience.

The Harpo-TargetSpot deal has an interesting twist. As part of the agreement, Harpo is also giving TargetSpot access to a whole library of audio content from Winfrey's previous productions, which the online ad network will be able to repurpose for its ad clients.

Specifically, TargetSpot will be able to incorporate clips of various Harpo regulars into streaming audio ad "vignettes," creating contextually tailored messages featuring Gayle King, Mehmet Oz, Laura Berman and Derrick Ashong.

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These offerings complement TargetSpot's online targeting capabilities, which include gender, age, ZIP code and programming content.

Currently, TargetSpot's network reaches about 30 million unique visitors per month, according to figures from ComScore. That's before the addition of HarpoRadio.com, which has yet to debut. Among others, the TargetSpot network includes CBS Radio (one of TargetSpot's initial investors), MySpace Music, Slacker.com, AOL Radio, Yahoo and Live365.

Most industry forecasts see big increases in online radio revenues over the next couple of years, thanks in large part to growing online audio ad networks like TargetSpot, which acquired Ronning Lipset Radio in October 2008. Elsewhere, Pandora, an online audio content service, is attempting to expand its reach into automobiles through partnerships with auto and radio manufacturers.

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