iMedia Connection: The new online ad toolkit offers categorized and demographically relevant search and instant purchasing.

AdAge: A key part of the platform is a new do-it-yourself planning tool that will allow companies, especially small ones, to plan, create and execute ad campaigns across Federated's blogs. Referencing Wired editor Chris Anderson, he said, "You're not going to market in the 'long tail' if you have to find every site that's a part of it. We act as a filter for that."

Glenn Fleishman: The FM system lets an advertiser target sites in the FM network by demographics, or just browse available inventories. GigaOm, Fark, BoingBoing, and almost four dozen other sites that have the same author-driven or editorial-driven focus as Wi-Fi Networking News are also available.
I’ve already bought my first banner on another site for my book-comparison service, isbn.nu. If you’ve been looking for short or long ad runs on Wi-Fi Network News, check out FM’s new system.

Business2.0: Rather than launch 50 blogs that may or may not be interesting and sell advertising across them, Batelle is trying a different tack with FM Publishing. He's collected about 50 high-quality blogs and Websites like BoingBoing, Digg, GigaOm, TechCrunch, and Techdirt to be part of his network. They focus on producing great content, and FM Publishing focuses on bringing great advertisers to them. It's a distributed, er, federated, business model that positions FM Publishing at the crucial nexus betweeen its network of bloggers and its network of advertisers.

Marketwatch: It's an easy-to-use service for advertisers who want to select a demographic and a particular type of ad to place on one of Battelle's 50-plus blogs. Battelle's service then recommends sites based on relevance and makes suggestions to the advertiser.

AdRants: We took a test drive and found the planning tool very easy to use providing easy selection of blogs based on segmented audience profiles and demographics gleaned from readership surveys. Individual sites, groups of sites or all sites can be included in the buy, flight dates can be set and IAB standard creative units can be selected. Federated media claims its collection of blogs can deliver 70 million monthly page views.

MediaPost: Like a dating site--and unlike many online ad networks that currently exist--FM Publishing's automated platform requires consent from both parties, as bloggers can turn down offers from interested advertisers.

BoingBoing: You can browse ad inventory on BB, Fark, Digg, and dozens of other blogs in the FM network, check out demographics, come up with an ad plan, and then hit the buy button right then and there.

WebProNews: Big-name brands have tested the platform during its private beta. FM listed Apple, General Motors, Microsoft, and Sony among many others. At the beta site for the ad planning tool, FM offers a 35 percent discount for all campaigns booked through the platform during the beta phase.

Adotas: With 70 million page views per month on parenting, technology, and community blogs, FM’s network will offer a new ad platform that will target the web’s most engaged audiences. The online ad tool will also offer instant purchasing as well as categorized and demographically-targeted searches.

Marketing Pilgrim: FM already has an impressive list of advertisers including Sony, Apple, Intel, Lenovo and Microsoft. FM's author network consists of more than 50 top-tier bloggers and publishers.

Thomas Hawk: So far my experience with FM has been great. I went from losing money every month on my blog (due to traffic increasing I needed a more expensive and more robust broadband hosting package) to actually making money on it.

Fred Wilson: Now anyone who wants to run banners or text ads on my blog can simply go to the FM ad network, drum up an ad, decide how much you want to spend, and submit. Your ads will start running on the upper right sidebar.

Wow, a top item on tech.memeorandum!

ClickZ: The company's roster reads like a who's who of tech, business, lifestyle and culture weblogs.

CNNMoney.com: In a further sign that blogs are coming of age, Federated Media, a blog network created by former Industry Standard publisher and Business 2.0 magazine columnist John Battelle, yesterday launched a new web-based, self-serve advertising tool.

Searchviews: Unlike many ad networks, FM's gives individual sites the right to refuse ad campaigns they don't want to carry. But FM's sites can afford the luxury, due to sheer popularity (not to mention the loyalty of their readers) - and those factors are also undoubtedly major selling points.

Cnet: John Battelle, founder of print publications Wired and The Standard, is ramping up a new online publishing network of blogs. Late Wednesday, his venture, called Federated Media or FM, launched a test version of an automated advertising tool for buyers who want to appear across a network of blogs, including the well-known blog Boing Boing and humor site Fark.com.