Why do you think that? Were you ever a subscriber?
I've been a subscriber for the past 10 years and of all the media content I've ever paid for, Sirius/XM radio has provided the most utility (best value). For just a few dollars a month, I get nearly 100 commercial free music stations in my car (and computer) in virtually every possible musical genre.
Anybody who still listens to terrestrial radio in their cars do not know what they are missing. You do not get 20-25 minutes an hour of obnoxious ads and annoying DJs trying to be the next Howard Stern. You get 60 minutes an hour of nonstop music and if the DJ talks at all, they are giving you information on the music you just heard or are about to hear as opposed to trying to make a joke about somebody's breast implants.
Not only that but the title and artist of the music is prominently displayed on the panel of the radio, so if you hear a song you like, you are able to identify it so you can purchase it later on. Some newer radios even let you save the song so you can play it again later.
Most of these commercial free stations also have special programming that allow you to discover music that would never get played on terrestrial radio. Such as Bob Dylan's Radio Hour or Tom Petty's Buried Treasure, etc. One of my favorite shows is Celtic Crush which features three hours a week of nothing but Celtic music from the Celtic nations. Try getting that on your terrestrial radio dial.
Anyway, that all said, technology marches forward and unless satellite radio retunes their business model quickly, they may yet find themselves rendered obsolete. As soon as you are able to get personalized radio stations (i.e. Pandora) piped into your car over the Internet, people are going to flock to that in droves.
Thank you for your kind reply.
I have never subscribed to satellite radio so I suppose it’s true that I don’t know what I’m missing. I do spend a lot of time in my car, but am very content with Rush from noon til three, some sports talk after that, and a handful of pretty decent music stations in this market. I’m probably easier to please than many other people when it comes to radio.
My wife and son subscribed to satellite radio, each for a year, and each of them loved it. My wife especially liked the comedy station. My son enjoyed the reggae and a few other stations. In the end, though, neither thought it worth having yet another monthly bill.
The one thing I noticed when riding in their cars was the “dead air” that seemed a little too frequent going through bridges and underpasses etc., places where you don’t lose FM.