You Too Can Be a Radio Station

Streaming media outfit RealNetworks Inc. launched a turnkey subscription
solution that it plans to market to companies as a “customizable,
revenue-generating business solution” through its Real Broadcast Network
content delivery network.

The Seattle-based company said the offering, called the
RBN Managed Subscription Service, is modeled after its
RealOne SuperPass product, a premium brand subscription service launched
in March.

The new solution lets content providers launch a scaleable, stand-alone,
branded online subscription service for pay-per-view, rental and subscription
online commerce models.

RealOne SuperPass offers things like Condensed Games from Major League
Baseball Advanced Media (basically a system of 4,000 audio game summaries);
Exclusive Oscars from E! Networks, which offers content from the “red carpet”
and post-show festivities; and RealOne Radio featuring more than 40 stations
of commercial-free radio.

RealNetworks said the new service includes customer registration and
subscriber management, content security systems to protect against
unauthorized access, payment processing and billing systems, customer service
for end users and back-end hosting.

At launch the service has three clients: soap opera site SoapCity, which plans to launch streamed
videos and a SoapCity Radio network; Global Pastors Network, a
Christian content aggregation site sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ and
Cutting Edge International; and the not-yet-launched RaceReplays.com from
Post Time Technologies, a provider of streaming video solutions for the
thoroughbred horse racing industry

“Following the launch of RealOne, we realized that there was an opportunity
to create a solution for companies who want to offer
‘private label’ subscription services to their customers,” said Nagesh
Pabbisetty, Real Broadcast Network vice president.