Algor engineers live Web casts with new business venture
Pittsburgh Business Times - by Maria Guzzo
O'HARA TOWNSHIP -- After 22 years building his engineering software firm, Michael Bussler is branching out into a new and disparate business venture.
The founder and president of Algor Inc. has started Technimedia Inc., which will produce live Web casts of arts and entertainment programming through its FromUSAlive.net Network and its local channel FromPittsburghlive.com.
Mr. Bussler said he is filling an unmet need in the Pittsburgh market for live local programming and using empty air time at Algor's Web cast studio.
He said he has spent about $1 million creating the studio, complete with lights, cameras and Internet linkage, which the firm began using late last year to conduct weekly productions promoting Algor products and answering customers' questions. The "Tuesdays at 10" Web casts focus on engineering topics.
"But this keeps our studio busy only a fraction of the time," he said. "We still have a lot of time we could be using the studio, so we said let's use it for something."
The first local live Web cast will be Saturday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon featuring interviews of several Pittsburgh-based mystery writers. Viewers can phone in during the live Web cast or e-mail questions in advance.
Future shows are scheduled to include cooking tips from Frank Sacco, proprietor of Downtown's Piccolo Piccolo Ristorante; Salsa dance lessons; teen-geared talk shows; and question and answer sessions with stock brokers and lawyers.
While there are many Web sites that feature Pittsburgh content, there are few Internet programs originating here.
Former WTAE-TV host Ann Devlin conducts interviews with authors at annonline.net and archives them for rebroadcast. Mount Lebanon-based technology guru David Radin produces his nationally syndicated "Internet Insider" radio program at KDKA-AM and reproduces it on the Internet. WRRK-FM is planning to simulcast its radio feed on its Web site when it is revamped in a few weeks.
Those in the industry say Mr. Bussler's new endeavor may hit some snags.
Dana Martinelli, whose Belle Vernon-based firm Hyperstructure produces Web casts for California-based PCcom Live, said most people use a regular telephone line with 28.8 or 56 k modems to link to the Internet. This offers clear audio, but less clear video, he said.
He said it will be at least two years until faster connectivity is more prominent.
"When this happens it will blur the lines (and be of the same quality as with ) TV," he said.
Mr. Radin said there are 10 times as many Internet launches that fail as succeed.
"But I've met Michael (Bussler) and I can tell you he's made a big go of Algor in an area a lot of people said he couldn't," Mr. Radin said.
"To say anything like `He couldn't do it' would be sheer heresy. He's a determined guy and he's done it against skeptics."
Algor offers low-cost computer-aided design and engineering software for personal computers.
Ann Devlin's online producer Jonathan Rosenson said her show started in July 1996 interviewing national news makers and technology industry leaders, like the founders of Amazon.com and Lycos.
"We found we weren't competing well with larger new sites and had to find a niche, which became authors," he said.
Also, advertising has turned out to be only 5 percent of revenues. Instead, the show is sponsored by Barnes & Noble.
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