Tribune, Gannett, Hearst and NY Times Co join forces to sell US web ads

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Four of of the largest newspaper groups in the US have forged a partnership to sell part of their online advertising jointly through a newly created sales organisation.

Tribune Company, Gannett, Hearst Corporation and The New York Times Company have all invested in the creation of quadrantONE to target premium advertisers looking for high-quality audiences.

Announcement of the deal comes the same day as news that the New York Times is to shed up to 100 people from its newsroom staff.

Executive editor Bill Keller told staff during their regular talk-back sessions about the plans for another wave of job cuts . A further wave of meetings between staff and management to discuss the matter is expected over the coming weeks.

The Times, nonetheless, will press ahead with plans to add its readership to the quadrantONE network , so bolstering it to a combined reach of roughly 50 million unique visitors per month across the vast majority of the leading newspaper markets and major cities in the US - effectively creating a network which covers the nation.

"Each participating company has agreed to dedicate advertising inventory to quadrantONE, so the network can offer customised online campaigns on a highly competitive basis." said Dana Hayes, interim CEO, quadrantONE, and senior vice president for sales of Tribune Interactive.

"Imagine placing the same ad across hundreds of local websites on the same day with one buy - that's the power of this network."

However, the idea of large news groups forging an online ads network without the assistance of an established technology partner hasn't convinced all concerned with some believing that news groups don't necessarily have the best understanding of the local online market that they lay claim to .

Shar VanBoskirk, an analyst who covers online advertising at Forrester Research, told the New York Times he believed the alignment of newspaper companies wasn't necessarily a win-win idea and the addition of an established technology partner may improve the operation.

"They need that alignment with a technology company that will bring them the set of skills that they need to monetise their content," he said.