Commercial-Free Programming: Just One of the Benefits of Satellite Radio
By Aldene Fredenburg
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.
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer
living in southwestern New Hampshire and
frequently contributes to Tips
and Topics. She has published numerous
articles in local and regional publications
on a wide range of topics, including business,
education, the arts, and local events.
Her feature articles include an interview
with independent documentary filmmaker
Ken Burns and a feature on prisoners at
the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord.
She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com
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