With
the introduction of satellite radio, people can listen to literally
hundreds of stations that offer music, news, radio talk shows and more
in virtually real-time and at a much higher audio quality than that
which FM or AM radio provides.
Millions of radio listeners in the United States and all over the world
have become so much happier with the introduction of satellite radio.
Now, people can listen to literally hundreds of stations that offer
music, news, radio talk shows and more in virtually real-time and at a
much higher audio quality than that which FM or AM radio provides.
With conventional radio, land-based stations broadcast their signals to
your boom box, computer, or car radio via the earth's airwaves. With
satellite radio however, providers transmit encrypted signals to
satellites they launched in outer space; these satellites in turn beam
the signals to customers' listening devices. But you can't use just any
radio; you need a special receiver (which is available at electronics
retailers) and a satellite radio set. You can also listen to satellite
radio broadcasts in your car since many new cars rolling of the
assembly lines have satellite-ready equipment already installed. All
you would need to do is pay for your monthly subscription.
In the United States, service is offered by XM Satellite Radio and
Sirius Satellite Radio. Sirius, a company based in New York City, has
over 125 channels from which to choose, 67 of them dedicated to
commercial-free music and the rest to various other content. XM, on the
other hand, offers more than 160 channels, which offer content that is
as diverse as that which Sirius extends to its customers. The services
are available coast-to-coast, so geographical availability of programs
is not an issue. A customer in Los Angeles, for example, can listen to
the same talk show that another customer in say, Boston, is listening
to at the same time, and with no degradation in audio quality. Remember
that satellite radio also means digital radio -- sound is
crystal-clear. There's none of the static or hissing you would
sometimes hear on FM or AM radio. Non-US residents can also take
advantage of the benefits of satellite radio; XM and Sirius offer their
services in Canada, while WorldSpace broadcasts its service across
Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Australia has several
providers of its own also.
Factors that attract people to sign up for satellite radio
subscriptions are numerous. For one thing, there's the pleasure of
listening to commercial-free music. Since the providers make their
money from subscriptions, there is still no pressing need for
advertising revenue. Another attractive feature that this service
offers is that information about the song being played at the moment is
displayed on your radio set -- a small convenience for those people who
have to know about who is singing what song right-now. The fact that
satellite radio programming is completely uncensored at the moment is
also a draw for many people. Noteworthy personalities, such as shock
jock Howard Stern (who was kicked out of network radio programming) has
made satellite radio his new broadcasting home. Whether you want to
listen to hip-hop music, stand-up comedy shows, or news programs,
satellite radio offers them -- all completely uncensored.
Because Sirius, XM, and other providers are the ones who set the
channel selections, some people might find it a bit inconvenient that
they won't be able to listen to their local radio stations and get
information on local goings-on. However, Sirius and XM do provide
traffic and weather data for major cities, so that should be a bit of a
relief for city residents. And if you think about it, not getting
access to one local radio station wouldn't seem to be such a bad deal
if you compare it to the ability to listen to hundreds of channels of
commercial-free music and unregulated non-regulated shows.
Sirius and XM plan to add even more features and functions to offer to
their subscribers. Sirius, in particular, is readying the launch of a
Windows Media Video 9 service and the company plans to offer several
channels dedicated to children. That's one more thing to keep the kids
occupied and not distract their parents on long road trips. XM plans to
release a similar video service. The two companies are anticipating
that this will add to the number of their subscribers -- Sirius has
over one million, trailing after XM which has more than three million.
If you're an avid radio listener and you're finding yourself becoming
fed up with the constant barrage of commercials on regular music
stations or if you're looking for more no-holds-barred commentaries or
radio talk shows, you probably wouldn't mind forking over the $12.95
monthly subscription for satellite radio service charged by Sirius and
XM. And with the increases that the two companies see in their
subscriber numbers, it's evident that a lot of people feel the same way.
