By Frank Barnako, MarketWatch

Last Update: 10:54 AM ET May 17, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The British Broadcasting Corp. is preparing to test what one of its executives said ``could just be the iTunes for the broadcast industry.``

Ashley Highfield, the Beeb`s director of new media and technology, says the broadcaster plans to offer 5,000 paying customers TV and radio programs on demand for download, according to Reuters.

The library will include 190 hours of TV, 310 radio programs and some feature films, the report said. The venture will use an interactive media player, which will include digital rights management protection. A September start is planned.

Kontiki Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., is supplying technology for delivering the programming. It was founded by Mike Homer, a veteran executive at Apple Computer (AAPL: news, chart, profile) and Netscape Communications.

Limbaugh to Podcast

Soon, for a fee, you`ll be able to grab and go Rush`s shows. Rush Limbaugh`s Website has a ``Podcast coming soon`` notice and a transcript of comments to a listener, which quotes him as saying, ``We are in the process of setting up a system for that to happen.`` The talk-show host said MP3 files of his shows could be available for purchase through the Apple Computer (AAPL: news, chart, profile) iTunes Music Store.

``I think there`s some tie in that we`re trying to do with Apple, and I`m not sure how far that`s advanced. I know it`s been worked on,`` he said. Limbaugh said ``countless thousands`` of people have requested downloads, which are expected to be available through his ``Rush 24/7`` service. At a cost of $49.95 a year, subscribers can listen to archives of shows and see live video streaming of programs.

NewsGator acquires FeedDemon

Two of the most popular software programs for reading and managing RSS feeds are combining. NewsGator Technologies Inc. said it would acquire Bradbury Software LLC for cash and stock.

Bradbury, whose sole employee is Nick Bradbury, will join NewsGator as architect of client products. NewsGator is best known for its Windows software that delivers RSS feeds as e-mail in Microsoft`s (MSFT: news, chart, profile) Outlook program.

FeedDemon is also a Windows application that displays RSS on a PC desktop. It has a built-in tool to receive and manage audio files known as Podcasts.

Greg Reinacker, founder and chief technology officer of NewsGator, said: ``We knew we wanted to extend our platform footprint to the desktop, and FeedDemon was the clear choice for us. Its rich feature set and intuitive user interface fit well into our product family, and we`re excited to integrate our advanced synchronization capabilities into the product.`` NewsGator subscribers are expected to receive the $30 FeedDemon application free next month.