Just to answer some of your questions. Google says you need to have 20 million page views to become a Premium Publisher in Ad(non)sense. But this can be negotiated if you are close. Besides being able to style your ads, you also get to negotiate how much you get per click with Google. I tell ya, it is really nice being able to control your ads and get higher payouts on clicks. Really though, I still make more selling my own ad space. For your Adsense lovers, I guess becoming a Premium publisher is something to shoot for. Once you are there, you will be much happier not being a slave like everyone else to Googles Adsense TOS. I can tell you that membership does in fact have it's rewards.
softpedia does too http://www.softpedia.com/get/Intern...-Addons/Mozilla-Extensions/chao-c-Noise.shtml This company sounds like a premium publisher for me too.
This site owner must be a Premium Publisher. Such adsense users have so many options available that normal adsense publishers don't e.
Is there information on how to become a premium publisher or is it just when Google decides to give it to you, like Google Sitelinks?
To be a premium publisher the requirement is site popularity and HUGE TRAFFIC. I dont know the exact number of visitors but i think its like million visit per month. Not 100% sure.