Using Python to verify streaming tv/radio station links

Hi guys. I've put together a website ( http://worldwidemediaproject.com ) that is a database of internet streaming tv/radio stations from around the world. I have built the site with all users in mind. The site should be Linux, Unix, Mac, Win, etc friendly as I do not hide the actual stream link or force the user to use an embedded player to view/listen to the streams. In fact, you can even download the streams you like as a playlist that you can load into your player of choice (and even a few PVR software plugins).

In building the site, I have enabled the user to report stations that are nonfunctional. In addition to this, I would like to automate the checking of the links in the database as well as any user submitted links. What I am wanting to do is to script this with a simple for loop which would loop through a file containing the station stream link as well as the station id. I'd like to pass each through some kind of verification function and if a connection is made then the stream is good and move on to the next. If the connection fails then the stream is bad, I would like to add the station id to a file containing all 'nonfunctional' streams that I can later automate to flag the stations.

Is there an easy way to use python to verify a stream exists? I am not unfamiliar with python, but I am far from an expert. If anyone could give me a hand with this or give me a push in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it!

Kind of funny to bump such an old post but I'm revisiting this idea. Does anyone know if this can be accomplished using sockets?