Online services provider Internet Broadcasting said it’s launching Web-based opinion and polling tools for Web publishers today. Already Meredith Publishing and NYCtv are using the new polling features to create forums for users to debate issues.

The product introduction is part of a broader shift in Internet Broadcasting’s business model. The company has served as the engine behind the Web sites of many local broadcasters, but now many of those station groups are taking the management of their Web sites in-house.