Metro News Release

For immediate release: January 4, 2007

Metro's Web site begins accepting paid advertising

Metro today began accepting paid advertisements on its public Web site through the Google AdSense program.

With traffic of approximately 14 million page views a month, Metro’s Web site (www.metroopensdoors.com) might earn as much as $250,000 a year, based on prevailing ad rates.

Google’s AdSense program targets ads to particular Web pages based on key words chosen by advertisers. For example, a restaurant, theater, bookseller or other business can narrowly target Metro riders who use a nearby Metrorail station by specifying that their ads appear on pages containing the station’s name.

“We see a lot of potential in this for Metro, our customers and local businesses,” said Ray Feldmann, acting assistant general manager for customer and media communications. “Advertising on Metro’s Web site will help drive business to the advertiser, generate ad revenue for Metro and alert customers to products and services convenient to them on their Metro trips.”

As implemented by Metro, Google’s ads will consist of one or two boxed text ads appearing in the righthand column of virtually all interior Web pages. The ads are deliberately unobtrusive to avoid complaints that the ads crowd out content.

Advertisers wishing to place ads on Metro’s site should visit Google’s AdWords site at http://adwords.google.com. AdWords is the complement to AdSense that allows advertisers to target and place ads.

News release issued at 12:00 am, January 4, 2007.