The Centre for Media Research reports on Nielsen NetRatings data for the top ten news websites in the US during February.

Almost half (47 per cent) of the sites’ readers are aged 45 and older, with about 38 per cent being baby-boomers (roughly 45-64 years of age). There is a substantial take-up in readership in the age range 35-49.

The top news sites (led by Yahoo! News, MSNBC, CNN, AOL, and NY Times) show almost-equal numbers of male and female readers.

The report also reveals that non-standard ad sizes account for a third of all ad impressions on sites in the World and Local News segment. One quarter of all impressions belong to the 180×150 rectangle and 20 per cent to the 120×90. The 468×60 rectangle, which used to dominate online advertising, is virtually dead, with only 0.7 per cent of impressions.

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