Satellite Radio: Music and More in Real Time

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.