Advertising network ContextWeb's new model allows publishers, not advertisers, to set CPM rates, the company said.
"This is a radical shift from the traditional 'hope for the best' practice in which advertisers are the only party to control pricing and advertising networks decide what share of revenue they will pass on to the publisher," the company said in a statement.

By giving publishers a bit of control, ContextWeb apparently hopes to entice new publishers to join its network, which includes the websites for the Boston Herald and the Denver Post, and some 250 other publications.

ContextWeb is ranked by comScore as a Top 25 U.S. advertising-supported property, according to the company.