The search advertising company purchased dMarc Broadcasting, a digital solutions provider for the radio industry, for $102 million cash and potentially as much as $1.136 billion over the next three years.

Google announced plans to integrate the dMarc technology into AdWords and create a new radio ad distribution channel for Google's advertisers, the company said in a statement.

"Google is committed to exploring new ways to extend targeted, measurable advertising to other forms of media," Google's Tim Armstrong, vice president of Advertising Sales, said.

"We anticipate that this acquisition will bring new ad dollars and accountability to radio by combining Google's expansive network of advertisers with dMarc's talented team and innovative radio advertising technology."

dMarc brings organization to the radio advertising process. Its technology automates several functions connected with getting advertising to listeners. That includes scheduling commercials and placing them within a broadcast.

Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, has publicly stated his desire to see more targeted advertising in television. The dMarc acquisition gives them a ground to test the concept on an audio basis first.

Google and dMarc could have another opportunity for delivering audio ads. The popularity of podcasting has yet to be matched by an effective way to monetize the medium.

Presently, Google has the technology to place advertisements in RSS feeds, which are the preferred way to deliver podcasts to subscribers. It's reasonable to believe the talented folks in the Googleplex can adapt dMarc and provide podcasters an AdSense service similar to that used by websites and bloggers today.