IAB To Extend Membership Benefits to Small Publishers, Mobilizes Them to Fend off Adverse Regulation : Threat of Regulation Weighs Most Heavily on Small Business Operators

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced that it would open a new class of membership for small interactive publishers in an effort to mobilize them to prevent adverse state and Federal regulation that could hinder the publishers' ability to sell or carry advertising.

NEW YORK (Business Wire EON) June 9, 2008 -- "Campaigns have been launched at both the Federal and state levels to seek government regulation of many of the core processes and technologies that support interactive advertising, and the potential impact on small publishers can't be underestimated," said Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of the IAB.

Proposals are currently before the Federal Trade Commission and have been or may be introduced in the governments of New York State and Connecticut that would severely constrain "third party internet advertising." The IAB's analysis of the proposed regulations is that they would have a disproportionately negative impact on small publishers whose advertising sales are largely or entirely managed by ad networks.

In support of this effort, the IAB is offering small publishers a special introductory rate of $500 a year. IAB Small Publisher Membership is open to any publisher that sells indirectly, through a network, or directly, and has revenues under $1 million per year. The many benefits include:

Special pricing for IAB events Training programs and webinars designed exclusively for small publishers Access to IAB networking events around the country Business insurance and protection programs Membership in IAB's new Small Publisher Committee; Representation by the IAB in Washington on industry-related public policy issues For more details on IAB's Small Publisher Membership Program, and to register, please email Vice President of Member Services Michael Theodore at michael@iab.net.

About the IAB:

Founded in 1996, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (www.iab.net) represents over 375 leading interactive companies that actively engage in and support the sale of interactive advertising. IAB members are responsible for selling over 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive's share of total marketing spend, and of its members' share of total marketing spend. The IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices, fields interactive effectiveness research, and educates marketers, agencies, and media companies, as well as the wider business community, about the value of interactive advertising.