BY DANIEL MCSWAIN

WVFI, the student-run Internet station on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, has implemented innovative technological and programming changes that are creating a buzz both on and off campus and rivaling that of established broadcasters.

Since making the move from an AM carrier current signal to a global internet broadcast in 1999, WVFI has made a very commendable effort to to keep up with the always-changing Internet broadcasting world. This new wave of revision places WVFI at the front of a growing number of collegiate broadcasters that meet the task of producing a broadcast that brings legitimacy to the college radio world.

WVFI shares the campus radio market with 88.9 WSND, a low power FM station that has been broadcasting since the 1940's from the campus to the surrounding South Bend/Michiana community. The station has been a bulwark of Notre Dame's media outfit, producing decade after decade of quality programming that mainly reaches out to the classical music community in the area, with some late night programming reserved for students.

Since its reincarnation as an Internet only station, WVFI has tried unsuccessfully to acquire an FCC liscence to simulcast their Internet signal via a low power FM signal. WVFI's move to a global Internet broadcast, however, seems to have positioned them to eclipse the popularity of WSND and other local FM stations if for no other reason than their exposure to such a massive audience  of listeners.

WVFI Station Manager Catherine McGeeney understands the exposure benefits of streaming, as she notes that the Internet broadcast, "...enables us to reach thousands of students who spend hours on their computers. Many college students don't have radios in their rooms, but almost all have computers. As such, we aren't really limiting our listener base by not broadcasting via FM."

WVFI has taken their inability to acquire an FM bandwith as a sign to leap forward with their Internet broadcast capabilities, which only now appears to be the boon that will propel them to the listenership and level of exposure that in years past has been one of the station's largest stumbling blocks.

Read more about WVFI's programming changes, their entry into the world of podcasting, and a review of the website and the radio feed itself in Monday's issue of RAIN.

From AP, by Peter Svensson: "Want to take your favorite

"But if you're a radio fan, or getting bored of the same old songs on your iPod, Radiotime ($39.99 for one year), Magix Webradio Recorder ($29.99), or Replay Radio ($49.99) are worth a shot, particularly Replay Radio...

A review of the Radiotime recording service

"Radiotime does sell an optional receiver for over-the-air radio for an extra $20, but the main use of all three programs we tested is to record streaming Internet radio. For this, you don't need extra hardware.

"The gist of the programs is this: you select which shows to record through a built-in program guide. The software keeps track of when they "air" and records the shows on your hard drive...

"Radiotime, which is available for Windows and Macintosh PCs, is the one that reaches hardest for the TiVo model. It has an extensive program guide, which it claims has 25,000 shows.

"Like the TiVo, but unlike the other radio recorders, it allows the user to schedule recordings from another computer.

"Also like the TiVo, it charges a subscription fee ($39.99 a year). This makes some sense, since maintaining the program guide is an ongoing job, but it does make the software more expensive.

"Radiotime's challenge is that keeping track of the world's radio stations is a much bigger job than keeping up with U.S. TV schedules. Radiotime recorded domestic shows fine for me but trying to record aBBC historical show yielded a broadcast of some mysterious British sport, probably cricket.

"Radiotime's interface is also the most confusing of the three.






"Radiotime is sold as a download from http://www.radiotime.com.

Next week, RAIN will feature reviews of the other two products mentioned in this article by the AP, including a final analysis on the best-tester of the three.

...

This is tricky legal territory: On the one hand, recording Internet radio seems like perfectly "fair use" for consumers, but on the other hand, webcasters are obligated under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to try to prevent it to the best of their reasonable ability. The same issue came up a few days ago regarding new portable devices that record satellite radio (see RAIN story here).