Web Radio finding Niche Markets

"Internet broadcasting has grown in popularity to the point where it's become a significant alternative to traditional radio, and an appealing venue for major advertisers. Thousands of people share the affliction, thanks to Internet technology that lets anybody with a little money set up an online "radio station."

So begins a report by Boston Globe reporter Hiawatha Bray earlier this month.

But although the barriers to entry for a talk radio station are low, for those who wish to broadcast music, Internet radio licensing and copyright fees are higher than those for their traditional radio counterparts.

Still, that hasn't stopped many people from beginning their own shows, often using online broadcast networks like Live365 to alleviate the cost and technical difficulty in doing so.

And AOL also has a rather magnificent entry into the Web radio sphere with RadioNetscape, which offers some very unique channels that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else -- online or off.