Now you can listen to hundreds of public radio stations from across the country, live and streaming in real time. Just download this free application - public radio tuner from the iTunes App Store.

Of course, the streaming works best with Wi-Fi or on the 3G network, but it works well on the 1st Generation phone too.

The radio stations are listed by state, and listeners have the option of creating their own list of favorites or using the iPhones GPS or triangulating to create on the fly a list of "local" stations, up to 250 miles away. The tuner also gives you the option of searching for a station by its call letters. 

You can stream live from the stations' websites or you can tune into content from the major public radio networks; all of which collaboratively developed the software. These networks include the Public Radio Exchange, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Interactive, and Public Radio International.

The beauty of this application is that you're neither tethered to one local station whose URL you know by heart, nor cut off from local content by listening exclusively to the national distributors. For stations, the potential to attract travelers offers a new source of web listeners, critical to maintaining the brand recognition of terrestrial stations in an increasingly on-line listening environment.

The latest version of the tuner (1.1) was released January 5, and the developers claim that version 2.0 is on its way.

Amy Mayer contributed to this article.