• by Masha Geller , June 19, 2003

Back from Ad:Tech and done sifting through hundreds of emails from the last few days, I thought I'd quickly point out some of the important events that nearly got lost in the hustle and bustle of the conference.

First off, as I mentioned yesterday, Google has launched a new self-service option for Google AdSense which is worthy of attention, so read all about it in our MDN.

Second, comScore and the Newspaper Association of America formed a partnership to provide the online newspaper industry with detailed information about the online and offline buying power of newspaper sites in local markets throughout the U.S.

Third, 24/7 Real Media, Inc. this week received a notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market stating that the Company has regained compliance with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq SmallCap Market.

Speaking of stock matters, DoubleClick Inc. announced the pricing of $135 million aggregate principal amount of Zero Coupon Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2023 and that it will be using the net proceeds to redeem its 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2006. In plain English, as one of my trusted finance-savvy friends explained it, that means that DoubleClick is borrowing $135 million from Peter to pay Paul, but it doesn't have to pay Peter back until 2023.

Speaking of millions, search provider FindWhat.com has agreed to buy Espotting Media Inc. for $163 million in stock and cash, in a deal that will help FindWhat add distribution partners in Europe, where Espotting is based.

Also this week, AOL incorporated Lightningcast's MediaThunder ad insertion technology into its Radio@ Network (the #1 online radio service as ranked by Arbitron.) MediaThunder technology has the ability to seamlessly insert audio and video ads into online media.

And lastly, Nielsen//NetRatings this week calculated that broadband usage continues to grow in the U.S., increasing 49% year-over-year. In May 2003, 13% of all Americans, or 40 million people, accessed the Internet via high-speed. Women (51% more than last year), seniors (64%), students (51%) and affluent Americans (55%) comprised some of the fastest growing demographic groups adopting broadband.

All of these announcements are worthy of more in-depth coverage, which I will get to in the next few days, so stay tuned.