Commercial-Free Programming: Just One of the Benefits of
Satellite Radio
Think of your favorite music or discussion topics, piped into
your home or car in digital-quality, crystal-clear sound. And
then think of your favorite format with absolutely no
commercials - no used car salesmen, no fuel company ads, no
heavy rotation ads hawking every possible product or service all
the way to work and home again - all your favorite stations
available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, with no
static.
Whether you love fifties music or reggae, conversation from
right wing pundits or Air America, or even 'round the clock
comedy, Satellite Radio is it. The purchase of a
satellite radio and a small monthly fee will open a whole world
of ad-free radio listening to you.
XM Satellite Radio offers
over 150 digital channels in formats specializing in music,
sports, talk, and entertainment, plus 21 channels dedicated to
weather and traffic patterns in major metropolitan areas around
the U.S. XM offers the deepest music playlist available, with
over 2 million titles. For $12.95 a month (less if you opt for
an annual contract) and the cost of an XM radio (anywhere from
50 to 200 dollars, after rebate) you will have an amazing range
of music formats to choose from, from Decades to Classical to
Urban, from Jazz and Blues to Latin, World, and Christian.
Channels for kids are available as well, plus a variety of
sports, talk and comedy formats. Sirius offers over 60
music channels plus a wide variety of other formats, including
football, soccer, and even horse racing channels. The "World"
music options are a bit more edgy than the XM offerings, and
offer music from all over the world, including Africa, Brazil,
the Caribbean, the British Isles, Central Europe and Asia.
Musicians range from the Rolling Stones to the Gypsy Kings and
Khadja Nin. Both XM and Sirius offer channels which give
emerging artists a boost.
Sirius offers a variety of radio systems, including a Plug and
Play kit with adaptors for your car or home radio, only $29.99
after the rebate; the systems go up in price and complexity from
there. Subscriptions start at $12.95. Right now Sirius and XM
systems are not compatible.
Owners of conventional broadcast radio stations have expressed
concerns that the commercial-free satellite stations will cut
into their listenership and, as a result, their ad revenue; but
the proponents of satellite radio feel that that won't happen.
There's plenty of room for free local programming offering local
and regional news and events announcements. With this thought in
mind, both XM and Sirius offer radios which can be connected to
home or car radios without interfering with their regular
operation, for the best of both worlds: free local stations
keeping the listener up to date on happenings in their
community, plus the best in music, talk, and sports from around
the world.