Re: Why don't more stations webcast? (Was Re: web-WHRB in today'sGlobe)

[Peter Murray <pete@partnercomm.com>]

Many ISP's provide streaming capabilities - so the station doesn't need
much bandwidth, and the cost is far less, since the expensive server-end
software is shared among many parties. My ISP does this with quite a few
AM stations in Pennsylvania (plus FM and TV). The encoder goes at the
station (if it's too far away for a good signal at the ISP facility) and
that single stream is all the bandwidth necessary at the station.

Heck, I've done live web-casting from rave events using just a dial-up
connection, and the 20.7Kbps G2 stream sounds great! Often, listening to
your favorite AM station over the web comes in with better fidelity than
over the air - so long as they pull it from the board...

Best Regards,

Peter Murray
Partner Communications Group, Inc.
P. O. Box 22225
Lehigh Valley, PA 18002
(610) 704-2569



On Sat, 11 Dec 1999, John Mullaney wrote:

> U'mmm the cost? Unless someone like broadcast.com is interested in you there is
> some significant cost to be able to come up with the bandwidth to have more than
> just a few people listen to you at a time.
> Check out:
> http://www.realnetworks.com/products/servers/sysreqs.html?src=broadcast
> To have enough bandwidth for 2000 listeners you need a T3.
> 
> Some other options can be found at:
> http://www.realnetworks.com/broadcast/index.html
> 
> Small AM's don't have the budgets to spend in an area that doesn't
> really make them any direct revenue.
>  Actually I don't even know a large radio station that is willing to
> pay much of anything on their web exposure. Most if not all have free
> or trade deals with ISP's and as soon as their is any friction they
> jump to another that is willing to give them a sweetheart deal. So
> unless someone comes along that wants help smaller stations get
> exposure I don't really think streaming audio is going to happen.
> 
> "Martin J. Waters" wrote:
> 
> >  So, my topic is: Why would you *not* put your station on the
> > web? Especially AM stations that have so much trouble penetrating big
> > office buildings in the downtowns of large cities (and FMs have trouble
> > with this, too, of course)? IMO, it's another way to reach the at-work
> > audience, especially. What are the reasons against?