EarthLink Lets Users Jettison Ads; To Be Offered By June.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: PETE BARLAS

Rich media is becoming a welcome ally to advertisers but an unwanted nuisance to some users and Internet service providers. EarthLink Inc., one of the largest Internet service providers in the U.S., will soon become the first ISP to let its subscribers block so-called rich media ads. Advertisers increasingly favor rich media ads -- full-motion video or animation that appears suddenly on a PC screen -- as a way to promote their companies and sell products online. The ads, though, can annoy users. So EarthLink, which had 4.9 million subscribers as of Jan. 1, plans to add the blocking feature in June. The company wants to prevent unwanted advertising from interfering with its subscribers, says Jim Anderson, EarthLink's vice president of product development.

"(Rich media) is an increasing problem," he said. "Advertisers have concluded that these ads are successful, and one reason is there's no way consumers can get rid of them." For the same reason, he says, the ads are a pain to some users. A Door, Not A Window Some rich media ads, like Anheuser-Busch Co.'s ad that shows Budweiser beer flowing out of a bottle, appear at the top of a Web page. Others, though, appear right in the middle of a Web page, blocking the view of the content that would otherwise appear.

Most rich media ads disappear within a few seconds. But that's long enough to be obtrusive, says Anderson. That's why EarthLink wants to let subscribers decide whether they want to see them.

"We're not against advertising on the Internet," he said. "We're just trying to allow (subscribers) to do what they want to do on the Internet."

EarthLink won't charge subscribers extra for blocking the rich media ads.

This isn't the first time EarthLink has played policeman. The company filters spam, or unsolicited e-mail, from customers. And in July, it began blocking so-called pop-up ads, which pop up out of nowhere to block Web pages.