Video didn't kill the radio star, but it certainly landed some hefty blows against the long-standing music format. Now technology has jumped into the ring to take a few swings at it, giving listeners the chance to log on to the internet instead of tuning in to the radio to feed their ears. Although still a young and relatively uncertain newcomer, internet radio stations are challenging commercial radio stations for listeners. Mark Mundy, a disc jockey for the newly formed Dallas-based internet station TheWest.com, believes that as technology advances, online stations will find an even broader audience base.

"More and more, as things like DSL connections and cable come into everyone's houses, you'll have people listening at home," he said. "Right now, most of the people are listening at work. But you're already seeing that start to change as people have better access to the internet."

The complaints against commercial radio have been registered and repeated for years: Playlists are repetitious and uninspired, catering to the top of the charts instead of giving a diverse representation of music. For those who feel that commercial radio has played itself out, the internet is the next logical frontier.

"As long as there is bad radio, there will be great [internet] broadcasts," Mundy said. "People who are passionate about their music and care about what they listen to are going to go this direction. People can go find any music they want on the internet. If you have a basic knowledge [of music] and a search engine, you can find whatever you want."

Mundy isn't exaggerating. Sites such as Live365.com and NetRadio.com boast stations that include every genre and era imaginable. Disco, tv theme songs, trance, dance, diva, country, metal, and classical are just the tip of the web's musical iceberg. Live365.com lists more than 1,500 internet stations in its directory; NetRadio has about 120 stations listed.

Unlike commercial stations, web broadcasts tend to have a narrow focus, zeroing in on one particular flavor of music rather than trying to reach a broad demographic. Mundy believes that is one of the major differences between internet and standard formats.

"Major conglomerates have bought up all the music, and the d.j.'s don't have a say about what they're going to play anymore," said Mundy, who has had a weekly Texas music program on KNON-FM (89.3) for 18 years. "It's not what the people want to hear, it's what some marketing company out of New York is telling them to play. They've completely ripped the soul out of it."

That, of course, is a financial decision, something that hasn't been emphasized on internet broadcasts -- yet. Mundy concedes that most web broadcasters are doing it for the love of it, not the money. Where that will ultimately take internet radio is the million-dollar question. If the year 2000 taught any economic lessons, it was that the dot.com industry isn't the eternal cash cow many thought it would become. Like all other enterprises, when the novelty wears off, there had better be some substance and business savvy to support it.

At the moment, Mundy admitted, the marriage between money and music isn't close to being consummated; NetRadio.com is on the cutting edge, but it's also "bleeding money." Many sites rely on selling c.d.'s and other product to help bridge the financial gap. But, unlike commercial ventures, the overhead is low -- most sites are run out of someone's home.

J.J. McKay, a 24-year radio industry veteran, launched his online stations in 1999. HotHitRadio.com and HotCountryHits.com both are operated out of his home in Flower Mound. He said the low overhead, combined with the huge gaps left by commercial stations, will soon make internet radio a strong contender.

"It's a business model that hasn't come to fruition yet," said McKay, former program director for KISS-FM (106.1) radio. "The more businesses are learning about it, the more they're starting to look seriously at it. Part of the problem right now is that you have a lot of stations out there that aren't very good. Eventually, those will fall off and you'll be left with some good choices. As more people get broadband [connections], you'll see it come into its own. That's when these stations will start making money."

The Dallas-based site allDANZradio.com, with more than 100 channels in 35 genres, has become a hot spot for music lovers, attracting about 5 million clicks a month. Craig Canant, director of marketing for the 15-month-old station, said the company is breaking even -- but has done so by maintaining a tight budget and operating with low overhead. The station operates out of the owner's business offices, almost as a subsidiary of his other, non-related, venture.

"The day-to-day expenses are things we can afford because they're already in place," Canant pointed out. "A lot of places aren't making money [off their sites], but we're making it because we're working with ad agencies, and we can sell based on clicks per minute. We're in it for the long haul, and never went in it to make money fast. We took it slow and built a fan base, and got a lot through word-of-mouth."

Internet radio allows stations to incorporate video, music news, touring schedules, and shopping into the listening experience, which, Canant said, will allow it to grow as technology expands and consumers become more sophisticated. "I think what you'll see is that [sites like] Yahoo, MSN, and Windows will all get bigger, just like the tv networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC," he predicted. "Then, just like with cable, we'll have boutique channels, and that's where internet radio stations will come into their own. It's about defining your niche in the marketplace. There's plenty of room for people to expand."

If online stations will give commercial radio a run for its money, the advantages for artists are obvious. In Denton, the city already has launched its own internet radio station, something that creator Mike Cochran calls a "labor of love."

"Denton is a community known for its music, and it's important that we showcase what we've got here," said Cochran, a member of the city council. "We have a lot of groups that are really good, but they might not get airplay somewhere else. A lot of them can provide their music on the internet through MP3's, but this gets them in front of people who might not hear them otherwise."

The selection on Denton Internet Radio (www.cityofdenton.com/council/ radiodenton.asp) ranges from an unknown teen named Jonathan Michael Hodges Anderson to the world-class One O'Clock Lab Band to the Grammy-winning Brave Combo. The mix, like the city's music scene, redefines the term "eclectic." Cochran said the site, which is only a couple of months old, will grow to encompass links to the artists' web sites.

"We've got all this great local music, we might as well do something with it," he said. "We have a lot of artists who are well known, but there's also a lot of talented musicians here that aren't known outside of Denton. We'd like to let everyone else know they're here."

McKay is predicting that letting people know what's out there, musically, will become easier in the very near future. His HotCountryHits features an indie artist every month, and he gives exposure to upstart artists alongside old-time favorites.

"It's a chance to give artists who don't have a label, but have talent, the opportunity to be heard," he said. "You give a mass appeal to the public, give some exposure to people who can't get it somewhere else; that's what it's all about. In the future, I think you're going to see this give [commercial] radio a real run for its money."