Web ad sales up up 152 per cent

Online advertising revenue saw significant growth in 1997, but the news could better, according to a new report from Simba Information, a Stamford, Conn., research firm. Ad revenues reached $597 million last year, up 152 percent from 1996, but the medium is "still far from a powerhouse," the report said.

Simba analysts were also disappointed that barter - companies trading Web ads, instead of paying cash -- still makes up a large part of ad revenues, "despite publishers' claims to the contrary."