Internet Radio In South Florida

Tech Tips, by Rabbi Yaakov Thompson


The internet has changed the way we do just about everything. The way we communicate with each other, the way we get our news, the way we pay our bills, and, yes, the way we are entertained; all these activities have been reshaped by our access to the internet. The big shift in radio entertainment began in 1994 with a very modest internet broadcast of a concert. Next the Rolling Stones would open the web to their live music. Before long the idea of an audio stream that would offer the content of a terrestrial radio station gave birth to thousands of “internet radio stations.” After more than 25 years of development there are now thousands of internet stations in every corner of the globe and the really great fact is that you can listen to any one of them no matter where you are. This fact gives the internet radio phenomenon a decided advantage over traditional radio with its limited broadcast area. Combining the best of both worlds is what has become known as satellite radio- picked up by radios but with a world -wide audience- although it remains a pay-as-you-go medium.
Statistics show that more than 30% of Americans now listen to internet radio and that number is constantly growing. With the computer equipment that most of us already own we are able to hear “broadcasts” from anywhere in the world and find “stations” that interest us the most. The big draw is that internet radio can cater to the listener who may not find his or her desired programs on regular commercial radio. Ethnic music, foreign language broadcasts, and stations devoted to those genres of music that have limited commercial impact can all be served by internet radio.
Here in South Florida we have a local internet station at weinetwork.com. Simply log on as you would to any other website and see a selection of programs to interest you. Music, including rock, jazz, oldies, and even theatrical music is available. Weinetwork.com offers a full array of talk shows including political and economic news, green technology, investing, and real estate. There is even a show produced by middle-schoolers to talk about topics that confront them. One of the great features for the internet listener at weinetwork.com is that the radio shows are archived on i-Tunes and can be downloaded for free at any time. This offers the same flexibility as a podcast (more on that next time.)
Peter Wein,61, owner of weinetwork.com began his career in marketing and then discovered that internet radio could combine effective marketing for advertisers as well as the ultimate in local and global entertainment. Wein works out of his Wellington studio providing his regular programming as well as live webcasts to help promote community and charity events. Speaking about the wide range of programs, Wein commented “Weinetwork.com is a station that has something for everyone. Our programming reflects the great range of interests that our audience has and the many ways in which our programming addresses the needs of the listening community. While most of our listeners are in South Florida, we have regular listeners across the globe. That is the mission of weinetwork- while our programs are produced locally, we know that the whole world is our audience.” You can check out all the shows by logging onto weinetwork.com. You will hear the show currently airing and can then go to any of the pages describing other show on the station. Happy listening!

This article appeared in the November 11th issue of South Florida Jewish Home