Google has overtaken TV stations, such as ITV1 and Channel 4 in the UK's advertising stakes, according to new reports.

New figures released by the search engine giant have revealed that it has now become the UK's largest single advertising provider.

Advertising earned Google a total of £1.3 billion in Britain during 2007 and accounted for 15 per cent of its total global ad revenue for the period.

Seamus McCauley of Associated Northcliffe Digital responded to Google's claims, admitting that it was unlikely that any TV channel's advertising-related income would exceed that of Google's.

He added that although ITV has not yet released its full-year figures based on its half-year figures it was unlikely the TV channel would have surpassed the internet giant.

In the first half of 2007, ITV generated around £600 million from advertising, meaning that its figures for the second half of 2007 would have to be significantly better if it is to overtake Google.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google back in 1998, on the back of their first search engine project called BackRub.

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