ABC's site is still in beta, with some sections "under construction" (although the rationale for putting up empty or unfinished pages, beta or no beta, is difficult to grasp). Even so, the ability to listen to news, commentary and other assorted coverage without the delay of downloading is quite striking. Products like Progressive Networks' RealAudio—which ABC RadioNet uses—and Xing Technology's StreamWorks are significantly expanding the Web's media capabilities, even with today's narrow bandwidth.

However, the question raised by this site and others employing these technologies is: to what purpose? Why, for example, would one choose to listen to the radio on the Net? How is the experience different from, or better than, radio on the radio?

It's certainly not sound quality. RealAudio only approximates the sound of AM radio, at best. Content, then? No, not really—not yet. ABC RadioNet basically duplicates and/or excerpts its on-air coverage, resulting in a kind of electronic shovelware: news, sports, weather. Yet the novelty of hearing news on the Web is undeniably fascinating. And ABC NewsRadio has made some attempt to take advantage of Internet resources, notably by providing local coverage and relevant links from four U.S. cities.

All things considered, then, and given that it is billed as a work-in-progress, the site is definitely worth a listen. ABC RadioNet has the potential to make some noise.

(Reviewed September 18, 1995)