In 2006 when I first got "the opera bug," I made extensive use of online and radio broadcasts to record (to cassette) and hear new operas. Between the Met and WFMT, there is a broadcast nearly every Saturday of the year.
http://www.operainfo.org/ The Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts, carried by many public radio stations. This site also contains background info on the operas of the current and previous seasons, with score examples, photos, and recording clips.
http://www.metoperafamily.org/stream.aspx
Every week during the Met season (approximately August to May) one performance is streamed live online, through RealPlayer.
http://www.wfmt.com/main.taf?p=12,10 WFMT fills out the year in between Met seasons (May-August), with broadcasts from Chicago and San Francisco's opera houses. Radio coverage can be supplemented by online streams from stations in the WFMT network.
http://www.npr.org/programs/world-of-opera/
Depending on your location, you may hear World of Opera, NPR's opera highlights program. If like me, this is not available to you on air, the website archives "hit singles" and sometimes whole operas.
I will be working on a recurring spotlight on available broadcasts with background on the operas featured.
