Webstream Of The Week: Voice Of America News Now

International news on the radio is actually a dying breed, especially after the disappearance of Swiss Radio International, as more and more local stations go online. One source that is available is VOA News Now, from the Voice Of America.

Whilst it is a US Government owned and operated operation, run as it is by the Broadcasting Board Of Governors, it actually seems to manage to retain a greater degree of editorial independence than other state owned radio and TV stations, which is actually quite a feat in itself.

At 32kbps, for the Real Media stream, the quality is sufficient for clear listening, even on dial-up connections. But remember, this service was designed for an international audience, so don't expect to be too US centric, even though it does seem to cover more US news than other international outlets, although not by much.

I rate this a 7.5 out of 10.

Webstream Of The Week: WABC Eyewitness News Now

Every week, I'm going to recommend a web media stream to either watch or listen to. This week, I'm going to point you in the direction of ABC's New York station, WABC and their digital service, Eyewitness News Now.

Despite the name, this is not a 24 hour news station, although it does cover live breaking news. At other times, it is a localised weather channel, powered by Accuweather.com.

Whilst this is not the best web stream around, it is a great example of how digital TV in the US works differently to in the UK. Whether the US system is better than the UK system is debateable, but at least, you have to chance to make up your own mind.

I rate this stream 7 out of 10, as the technical quality is good, and the text readable at the size on the screen, but I think that the content could be better.