Recording Internet Radio Shows with Cron

This is a short script I threw together this morning to capture shows for myself.
 

#!/usr/bin/python

"""
streamdownloader.py

Script for downloading streaming mp3 files from internet radio sites for
a specified amount of time. Intended to be useful as something run from cron
and record your favourite shows. Have a lot of fun!

Usage:      $ ./streamdownloader.py <stream> <output filename> <length in minutes>
Example:    $ ./streamdownloader.py http://trentradio.ca:8800/hi-fi.ogg trent.ogg 60

Chad Mounteny
readability@gmail.com
September 2009

Should work great for Linux, have no idea otherwise.
"""

import urllib
import time
import sys

def main():
    while now() - length < start:
        data = conn.read(100)
        target.write(data)
       
def now():
    return int(time.time())
   
stream = sys.argv[1]
dest = sys.argv[2]
length = int(sys.argv[3])*60
start = now()
conn = urllib.urlopen(stream)
target = open(dest, 'wb')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()