FeaturesAugust 31, 1999
CLICK AND DOUBLE CLICK: SURFERS FIND WEB RADIO ENTERTAINING
The Internet is alive with the sounds of music. A few weeks ago we talked about the explosion of MP3 files. Today I want to talk about the boom of Internet radio. No longer are you limited by what's available on your local airwaves. A growing number of radio stations are simulcasting their programs online. According to some industry analysts, the number has doubled from last year to more than 2,260...
The Internet is alive with the sounds of music. A few weeks ago we talked about the explosion of MP3 files. Today I want to talk about the boom of Internet radio.
No longer are you limited by what's available on your local airwaves. A growing number of radio stations are simulcasting their programs online. According to some industry analysts, the number has doubled from last year to more than 2,260.
You may need a plugin to listen to the audio files, which you can download free from the Internet. RealPlayer is one of the most common, and you can get a free version. Your connection needs to be at least 14.4.
This is a busy site with loads of net events and live radio. You can search for a particular radio show or use many other options such as call letters, format, location, etc.
For example, if you'd like to listen to the Foolish brothers, David and Tom Gardner from Motley Fool, you can find their three-hour daily radio show from this site. If you miss the live broadcast, you can check out the archives. We run their column each Monday. They're great.
There are more than 40 different radio formats you can search for on this site -- from children to punk, from jamming oldies to continuous teen.
Some are real radio stations. Others are Internet-only stations. Also, be aware that net congestion can stall the tunes, although that isn't the problem it was a year ago mostly because of better audio programs and faster modems.
Another large radio site on the Internet can be found at Web Radio. The top five choices for this site are alternative, news-sports talk, top 40, rock and college radio.
This site offers music, concerts, sports and events 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is powered by technology that works on Java-enabled browsers. In other words you won't need a special program.
The nice thing about Web radio is that you can minimize the screen and then go about your other work. Just remember to keep the volume down -- unless you have a soundproof office or headphones.
Sports is another popular draw on the radio waves. The same is true on the Internet.
As such, ESPN offers its radio shows over the Web. You can check the radio show in progress or listen to ESPN news, which features breaking news, scores, analysis and live press conferences.
There are other longer interviews here as well as archives.
You can learn more about National Public Radio at its Web site. You can listen to NPR hourly news with RealAudio or Windows Media Player, or catch NPR Online 24-hour stream by using QuickTime or Windows Media.
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You can find out more about the programs and features you enjoy, and it will link you to specific program Web sites. I know very little about automobiles, but I love Car Talk. You can link to many popular NPR programs from this site.
You can also link over the KRCU Web site and listen to past broadcasts of some favorite shows you may have missed.
disney.go.com
Just as it seems the music scene is gearing to a younger crowd, so are radio stations. Disney is setting up stations across the country that are geared to kids ages 6 to 12.
One of these stations is in St. Louis, and my 7-year-old daughter loves to listen to it on our monthly trips to visit the grandparents. Unlike other stations, Radio Disney is broadcast from a central location at the Florida studios with minor references to specific towns that carry the signals.
You can also check it out online by clicking off the main site to Radio Disney. The link is at the lower right-hand side of their redesigned Web page.
I find it interesting that the songs are a mix of oldies (even older than me) and top 40 pop. I have to listen closely. It's fast and furious -- paced for a kid's attention span, I guess.
There are also games to play and information on all the DJs.
Mystery once ruled the airwaves through a number of popular serialized radio shows. This Web site keeps the genre alive with a weekly episode of "The Shadow." They come from a library of more than 200 episodes of this series.
Obviously, the episodes aren't live -- you have to download them. You have a choice of a 14.4 or 28.8 modem connection speed. Once you download it, the show begins to play with RealPlayer. This week's episode is called "The Creeper."
The Shadow RealAudio Radio Theatre dates back to July 1997 and is still going strong today.
Even the musicians are getting into the act of Internet Radio. Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett launched his own Web site featuring his favorite songs at Radio Margaritaville, named after one of his hit songs.It combines songs by James Taylor, Bob Marley, Bonnie Raitt and many others along with calypso and Caribbean sounds, beach music and New Orleans tunes.
For stereo, you need at least a 56K connection. A mono broadcast is available for a slower modem. You can even request a song online.
Pull up a digital beach chair and enjoy. What's your favorite Internet radio site? E-mail me at click@semissourian.com
See you in Cyberspace.
~Joni Adams is managing editor of the Southeast Missourian.
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