![]() ![]() The time came when the “digital airwaves” coming from went silent. Before long, it simply didn’t fit our business model to compete at that level. Radio networks began doing their own streaming. ![]() ![]() However, Microsoft launched their MediaPlayer and provided their server for free. We used that license for a number of years adding and losing radio stations and networks over that time. The first money I borrowed for The Worthwhile Company was to purchase a RealNetwork server license for $10,000. A very analog solution for a digital problem! It would turn the radio off at noon and back on at 3 PM. I found a radio with an analog switch and plugged it into one of these timers. You know, the little box you put in the socket that has a dial around which you put little pins to mark when to turn on and off the appliance you wish to control. It was time to get inventive.Įnter your basic wall socket timer. Unfortunately, the RealAudio (later to become the RealMedia) server did not have a way to do that remotely, and since the servers were colocated, I could not do this manually. ![]() I had to find a way to end the programming at the source. By bookmarking the stream in the RealPlayer, they could continue listening. However, that didn’t solve the problem because if someone was on an active stream before the code changed, they could bypass my little player. Initially, I simply removed the code that allowed access to the stream. HTML was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. How was I going to do this? I was only a rudimentary programmer. It was then I was contacted by the station that they had been informed to remove Rush Limbaugh’s programming from the live stream. Ultimately, it came to the attention of the “Excellence In Broadcasting Network” that Rush’s content was being streamed live (by that time on stations around the country). Things were going along swimmingly in the days of the Wild Wild Web, but then streaming began getting greater attention. So, my business model was generating revenue through building websites, streaming audio, and helping to facilitate ad creation and display. Of course, someone would need to be paid to create these ads and place them online. I also claimed a percentage of those rotations for myself to sell. This “player” would display the current show details and a rotating ad that the radio stations could sell to ad buyers. Now, thanks to Worthwhile, their reach was going beyond the confines of their wattage.Īlong with the streaming, I provided a small pop-up player that would allow users to listen and access other websites. This program running from noon to three was the bread and butter for this AM station. To my knowledge, the first local station streaming Internet audio in the state was the local conservative talk radio station with the flagship program The Rush Limbaugh Show. Yes, before that portion of Worthwhile history wrapped up, we were also connecting to satellite receivers catching radio networks beaming down from orbit - but the first-ever streaming was from a mini-boombox plugged into a personal PC. Connected to this with a 3.5 mm audio jack was a lowly handheld radio. If they only could see the network driving this cutting edge medium! Basically it started with a desktop computer and an audio card. Never the less, a number of local stations in Greenville, South Carolina bought into various levels of my offer. Then there were a few stations that saw streaming as a “marketing” gimmick. Others already had rudimentary websites, but didn’t see the allure of online streaming. Some stations looked at me with a “why would I want to do that” look in their eyes. Before long I had it nailed down, and the thought came to my mind, “What if I approached local radio stations, and offered to stream their programming live?” My plan was I could find my way into the radio world by providing stations websites that included an audio component. Since the server was being offered for free I figured I would give it a go, and learn more about this technology. It is now known as the RealPlayer, and focuses on video… but back in 1995, streaming LIVE audio seemed miraculous! Back in 1995 there was a new Internet tool that caught my attention. ![]()
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