Q. Hi, Kim! I’m trying to turn my PC into an alarm clock. I want it to play the BBC Radio 1 drum and bass show. It airs at 7:00 am on Sundays. I can stream this show from the BBC Radio 1 Web site. But I have to be awake to start it. Can you help me automate this process? - Bo

A. Hi, Bo! Bo works at WORD talk radio in South Carolina. It’s his job to make sure my show goes off without a hitch. So, I better help him get up on time!

This is actually a pretty cool idea. I’ll bet a lot of people could use it. Do you have a favorite radio station you listen to in the mornings? Or maybe you’ve moved. And you miss waking up to your old station. Most radio stations have a Web site. And many stream their content live on those sites. You can use the site as an alarm clock.

Setting this up shouldn’t be too difficult. It’ll be done in two parts. You’ll need to dedicate a browser to your alarm. Then you’ll set up and schedule an automated task. I’ll show you how to do this in both Vista and XP.

I don’t want you to feel lost as we go through the steps. So, let me explain the big picture.

On the station’s site, there’s a link that starts the streaming broadcast. It’s labeled Listen Live, a designation that most stations use. That link will take you to the player page. The station plays automatically when you open that page. The player page will be your home page. So, when the browser launches, it automatically starts playing the station.