Six months after DeFontes Broadcasting's radio stations made their Internet debut, the company's television station, VSB, has begun airing its evening newscasts on the web.

The webcasts, which are uploaded to the station's website www.vsb.bm by 7:45 p.m. every evening, will solve the perennial problem of the late-evening worker, who used to have to stay up past midnight in order to catch a rebroadcast of the 7 p.m. local news.

VSB will store the day's news for 24 hours, from the time it airs until the next day's programme hits the airwaves.

When Mix 106.1 FM and 1450 AM Gold were launched online in mid-June, station manager Mike Bishop said VSB News would appear online within a week.

Last week, Mr. Bishop explained that broadcasting the news over the Internet, or "webcasting" it, required relocating computer equipment previously hosted by Gateway Systems Ltd. to VSB's transmission station at Ocean View Golf Course, creating delays.

But even behind schedule, the step has put DeFontes one pace ahead of its larger competitor, the Bermuda Broadcasting Company.

Only 1340 AM - one radio station among six radio and television outlets operated by the company - is supposed to be available through Bermuda Broadcasting's website, www.bermudabroadcasting.com, although the webcast has not been working this week.

If DeFontes's radio figures are any indication, the newscasts should attract a decent amount of traffic.

According to Mr. Bishop, an average of 250 people a week tune into the radio broadcasts online to listen for about four and a half hours each, and the site has logged 11,000 hits since June.

He explained that unlike conventional radio listeners, people listening through the web often sit at a desk for long periods of time and therefore leave the station on longer.

"We're looking for quite a few more (hits)," Mr. Bishop said, "but the philosophy has been to build it slowly, rather than start out with expectations that maybe we weren't able to meet."

But the traffic has not been strong enough for DeFontes to raise its advertising rates, which have been stable for some time and have not yet been changed for 2002.

That strength may come as the company further expands its Internet offerings. Other local programming aired on VSB, including the show 'Tourism in Focus', are scheduled to appear online in the first quarter.