4/16/2001 - Broadcasting & Cable
(Copyright (c) 2001, Cahners Publishing Company)

Broadcasters looking to generate profits from audio and video streaming over the internet have a new tool to help guide them. Reliacast, Inc., Herndon, Va., can help content providers get a handle on who's really watching and listening.

"In the past providers really didn't have a good idea of who the end users were, and that has made it very hard to make money on," said Tom Klaff, Reliacast chief executive officer.

Klaff likens his company's solution to that of a "cyber stadium." Reliacast's conditional access software enables content providers to determine in advance who gets a "ticket" into the stadium, and who doesn't. A television station, for example, would be able to set up pay-perview events, targeted advertising campaigns or a tiered programming service in a specific geographic area, much like those frequently offered by cable companies.

"They are one of a very few companies that have any expertise in this area," said Perwaiz Nihal, president Multicast Media, a company that offers a subscription-based internet programming service.

"Reliacast provides us the base software to provide conditional access, one essential part of being able to monetize our content."

By determining in advance who's eligible to enter the "stadium," Reliacast can anticipate how much bandwidth and network capacity are needed.

Unlike current ratings services that can only estimate a viewing or listening audience, Reliacast software can provide hard numbers in real time, and can monitor content streams to make sure end users receive a high-quality feed during times of network congestion.