A system and method for operating a server on a communication network. The system and method involving the progressive receipt of time-based media at the server as the time-based media is transmitted by a sender over the communication network and the discovery at least a partial delivery route to a recipient of the time-based media as the time-based media is being received. The time-based media is progressively transmitted as the media is available and as the partial delivery route over the communication network to the recipient is discovered.