Web brings wider range of radio

As choices over the airwaves dwindle, the Internet is a haven for those seeking something else.

By ERIC DEGGANS

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 26, 2000

[Times art: Jeff Goertzen]

How often have you indulged in a bit of radio surfing, only to find the same four songs playing on every station across the dial?

With increasing numbers of radio stations gobbled up by large corporations, fans of truly groundbreaking radio have found their options narrowing. And no matter how adventurous the station, there are times when only an obscure '50s swing tune or fatback '70s funk jam will do.

Fortunately, for users with a multimedia PC, a few free programs and an Internet connection, there's a solution close at hand with a simple name.

Internet radio.

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Truth be told, what passes for radio on the Internet isn't really broadcasting. Instead, audio tracks, Net-only productions or actual radio broadcasts are delivered to your home computer across the World Wide Web via streaming technology, which transmits audio and/or video to the user's computer without downloading files to its hard drive.

Through such technology, you can hear National Public Radio reports, routines from top standup comics or that Mets game you forgot about last week.

A recent Arbitron study estimates 19 percent of Americans have listened to Internet radio streams; one San Francisco-based consulting firm estimates there are 3,500 online radio and audio stations each week, with about 100 new stations joining the fold every month.

The Best Online Radio Sites Check out these sites for some cool online audio programs. Local stations go live online When you can't come to the radio, now the radio can come to you. How to listen to radio on the Web Many online radio or audio streams can be played through Real Audio's RealPlayer software, Apple's QuickTime or Microsoft's Windows Media Player, all of which are available for free download from each company's Web site. (Sites often present links to the program that works best with their material).

The attraction is obvious. For the "broadcasters," online radio operations can be cheap as the cost of a computer, modem and some free software. Unlike terrestrial broadcast operations, Internet DJs don't need a license from the Federal Communications Commission -- allowing a freedom real-word broadcasters might envy.

For the user, online radio allows access to a dizzying array of programming -- also for free -- with some sites allowing listeners to outline preferences so content is specifically formatted for their ears.

Listeners can find online radio broadcasts in a wide variety of places. Some sites, such as Broadcast.com and Live365.com, act as clearinghouses of sorts, archiving a huge array of radio programs in one area for users to sample. Other broadcasters, such as NPR and CNN, maintain their own archives, allowing users to catch up on past programs and peruse additional material.

Some radio stations, including several in the Tampa Bay area (see sidebar), simply present their on-air broadcasts online. Other companies, including Virgin Records' Radio Virgin, Spinner.com and VH1's At Work Radio, create their own broadcasts, focused by format and available to listeners for free.

Online radio has another advantage that nearly every Internet-based product offers: interactivity.

Many online radio sites allow users to click through and purchase the single they're listening to or the album containing the featured track. Radio.sonicnet lets users indicate their musical likes and dislikes, refining the stream of music presented on a personalized radio station and requesting performers more or less often in the future.

Some systems, such as Spinner.com, allow listeners to dial up biographical information on the artist as the track plays, calling up notes on which album the song is from and who played on it. Or users can click through to a chat room where they can talk with other listeners who share their musical preferences.

Because online audio software often operates separately from the Web browser, listeners can peruse one site's radio offerings while listening to broadcasts from another.

Many commercial Web radio sites are also chock full of advertisements, allowing users to click through to other services such as concert ticket purchases, music news sites, online auctions and more. Of course, such set-ups work even better with the high-speed connections offered by T1 lines and cable modems.

There are, however, a few features online broadcasters have trouble offering, thanks to copyright laws.

For example, the recording industry has barred many Internet radio sites from allowing users to pick specific songs by major artists to hear at specific times. They reason that such specifically-focused playlists might discourage users from buying CDs.

Similarly, Web radio sites can't offer artist-specific channels for major acts, unless the artists themselves agree. Sites are often prohibited from showing a comprehensive list of the major artists they play -- again, the idea being that helping users predict when they might hear a specific tune may reduce their interest in purchasing a CD.

These days, the biggest drawback to Internet radio systems seems to be the lack of portability.

But companies are already developing products to address that problem. One device, the iM Remote Tuner by Sonicbox, allows users to choose an Internet radio channel from their PCs and transmit it to their home stereo.

Whatever the breakthroughs to come, the strength of Internet radio lies in its diversity, eclecticism, interactivity, low cost and ease of use. In this world, users gain access to an immense array of material through simple, free software applications that already outclasses much of what's available through conventional broadcast radio.

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