Forty jobs at risk as Google exits radio ad business

Search firm will try to redeploy affected staff

Google's radio automation service failed to meet expectations

Around 40 jobs are at risk following the termination of Google's radio advertising business.

The announcement follows the firm's decision to quit its broadcast radio business to focus its efforts on online streaming video, Google's product management vice president Susan Wojcicki said in a blog posting.

"We have always accepted that if you take risks, not all of them will pay off," she said.

Wojcicki said that after the termination of Google Audio Ads and Google Radio Automation, the company would attempt to redeploy some of the staff into other areas of the business over the next couple of months.

Google's radio automation products were created in 2006, as an attempt to capitalise on its successful internet advertising services, which remain a core source of revenue for the business.

The news follows last month's reports that Google cut 100 full-time staff after closing engineering offices worldwide and discontinuing less popular services in a bid to reduce costs.