BY PAUL MALONEY
At least two webcasters are doing what hundreds of thousands of others do every day to bring in a little cash -- they're staking a place on the popular auction website eBay.

Ownership of an Internet radio station called 3DSuperjock was reportedly up for auction on eBay earlier this month -- with a minimum price of $900,000. And another webcaster is using the site to sell a small commercial package.

Classic Rock webcaster "9412 The Rock Station" is auctioning a schedule of twenty 30-second spots, to be run over a 14-day period.

The package includes voice talent and audio production for two different versions of the spot, accompanying banner graphics throughout the site, and on-air mentions by the jocks. As of approximately Noon Central Time today, the top bid was $31.00.

According to the site, 9412 (pronounced "ninety-four twelve," the name derives from a Live365.com server port number originally used by the station) features live jocks twelve hours a day Sunday through Thursday, eight hours on Friday, and four on Saturday. The station is based in Madison, WI, and was founded in September of 1999.

According to an August 8th report from InsideRadio (here), the other site, 3DSuperjock, had received no bids (at the time of publication) to buy the station.

The "all request" webcast streams via WarpRadio, and is based in Tampa Bay, FL. According to the site, "3DSJ" builds and sells "custom turnkey Internet radio stations," ranging in price from $25,000 to $2 million. The company also offers its programming for broadcast syndication.

The eBay offering, however, was reportedly for the entire company, according to InsideRadio. The news source reports that the station was founded by career broadcaster and engineer Bill Elliot, who has operated it for the last two years at a cost of about $15,000 a year. Elliot told InsideRadio he "built the platform for future online shopping, radio syndication and the design and sale of other Internet-only stations."

As of this morning, RAIN was not able to access the 3DSJ sale page, and we were unsuccessful in contacting Elliot.

From The New York Times: "Online music fans can finally have the Rolling Stones under their thumbs.

"Starting today, subscribers to RealNetworks' Rhapsody music service will be able to listen to streaming versions of more than 500 songs by the Stones, one of the last big-name rock acts to permit its music to be distributed digitally.

"For an additional 79 cents a song, Rhapsody subscribers can record on CD more than 200 Stones songs that have been released since 1971 by EMI Music's Virgin Records label. The 300 or so songs the group recorded before 1971 on the Abkco label cannot be downloaded but will be available for listening through streaming audio.

"RealNetworks will have sole access to the Rolling Stones music for two weeks, before other online services can start selling the songs. During that time, RealNetworks intends to promote its sales program for Rhapsody in partnership with the consumer electronics merchant Best Buy...

"A senior analyst for Jupiter Research in Boston, Lee Black, said the music services, which so far have focused on starting operations, now needed to begin marketing themselves.

"RealNetworks' partnership with Best Buy could be important, Mr. Black said, because 'we haven't seen any real synergies between the online and offline worlds.' The exposure in Best Buy might introduce Rhapsody to people who would never see it online. 'It's always been a squishy thing to get somebody to try out the service,' he said...

"Other online music services, including Apple's iTunes, America Online's MusicNet and the new BuyMusic.com, are expected to start offering Rolling Stones songs on Sept. 2. The songs are from 18 albums beginning with 'Sticky Fingers,' which was released in 1971."

Read this entire story in today's New York Times, or online here (free registration required).