Online ad spending in the third quarter reached $5.9 billion--up 11% from the year-earlier period, but remaining essentially flat for 2008, according to the latest
report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
The third-quarter total
increased only 2% from the second quarter as online ad growth has hit a wall in the form of a U.S. economy heading rapidly toward recession. If current trends continue, Internet advertising could slow
to less than 10% growth this year and contract in 2009.