Satellite Radio: Turn Right for XM, Left for Sirius

newsmax.com ^ | 11/25/03 | Carl Limbacher

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With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

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Tuesday Nov. 25, 2003 4:30 p.m. EST Satellite Radio: Turn Right for XM, Left for Sirius XM Satellite Radio president and CEO Hugh Panero once touted his company saying, "I think that there are a number of people who are simply dissatisfied with their musical choices on terrestrial radio… The people who love jazz and blues and rock and roll and other kinds of eclectic music like reggae or opera just can't find it.” However, competing for the potential satellite radio audience in the roving U.S. market of some 200 million licensed vehicles has apparently gone beyond appealing to jazz lovers versus rock and roll devotees. XM competitor Sirius, for instance, offers 40 channels of stuff other than music, featuring more news and talk shows than XM. What’s more, the Sirius programming has more choices geared to liberal-minded listeners. XM appeals more to the middle and the right. Left-leaning Sirius has no less than three public radio channels, which tend to appeal to the liberal crowd, while XM doesn't have any. Sirius also features "Sirius Left,” a liberal talk channel. Covering the bases, however, Sirius offers "Sirius Right” as well. XM's stable of talk-show hosts includes conservatives Bill Cunningham, Michael Reagan, and libertarian Glenn Beck. Meanwhile, personality Phil Hendrie pokes fun at both sides of the political debate. Perhaps most telling, Sirius features a channel for the gay community, while XM has an exclusive channel for NASCAR racing buffs and a Playboy station that charges an extra tariff. All things considered, Sirius and XM have just 13 channels in common – for the most part rebroadcasts of cable nets like CNN. The rest comes from exclusive signings – Sirius has deals with NPR, the NBA, the NHL, as well as original programming. Critics have suggested that the varying political bents of the talk shows are defining the real difference between the competing services. When it comes to the musical content, the two services offer the same wide variety – XM channels, however, feature live disk jockeys who take call-in requests. In any event, don’t have an epiphany and switch from liberal to conservative or vice-versa once you bought the hardware for the service of your choice. That hardware is not interchangeable – at least not yet before open-standard radios become available on the market. It’s all about programming, as Sirius and XM ramp up their efforts to attract new subscribers. As more and more car manufacturers install satellite radios in their new models, they're expected to attract 25 million subscribers in the next five years. Whether liberal or conservative, that’s a market to reckon with.

[Paul_B]

XM actually has 4 Christian channels, but the other two operate under the guise of "urban" - i.e., black gospel.

None of them strike me as awfully good, though.

[Paul_B]

All you need for an indoor antenae is a South-facing window.

[Squantos]

Ping me to that pic if ya would please.......Merry Thanksgiving !

Stay Safe !

[Squantos]

Are the knobs bigger on that version ?

[StriperSniper]

I'm having trouble imagining Playboy Radio.

I'm thinking that that could be more dangerously distracting than cell phones. If that becomes popular, I may have to rethink my opposition to laws requiring two hands on the wheel. ;-)

[Dog Gone]

ROFL

[Keeper of the Turf]

Now on the other hand, we have the DISH (top 150), and have the audio output going to our H-K stereo receiver. On the DISH we have several radio stations (free with the DISH top 150 package), about 30 FM stereo stations listenable to us, "holiday" music is real nice!

Just download Winamp and you can listen to streaming, commercial free, cd-quality music from any genre...for free...as long as you have broadband.

[OXENinFLA]

and a Playboy station

I need some help on this one.

Playboy, on the radio????

[Skooz]

Thanks for posting that.

[Yo-Yo]

And as I understand it, neither of these is worth a crap if you live or work in a building that you can't mount an antenna on, so for me that means they are worthless.

Both Sirus and XM have built thousands of terrestrial repeaters in urban areas and along tunnels, etc. to supplement the satellite signal. Chances are strong that if you are in a city and listening to satellite radio, your signal is actually coming from a terrestrial repeater.

In most cities, you can drive into a gas station and still receive the signal under the overhead roof. In rural areas you will lose the signal when you pull under the canopy.

[Skooz]

Here is the complete listing for XM radio stations.

Here is the listing for Sirius. This is a pdf document. I cannot find a station listing for Sirius in html.

[ironman]

I have had XM for quite a while. Most enjoyable. Love being able to listen to FoxNews or CNBC. Great variety of music, all the way from heavy metal to jazz to 60s 70s and 80s oldies. Whatever you are in the mood for. Wonderful for long trips. I wish the music audio quality were just a touch better but it is certainly listen-able.

[Skooz]

I don't get that at all.

What is it, a bunch of moaning and "Hi, I'm Bubbles. I am 36-24-36, blond, and 5' 10'' tall. Oh, yes, I'm so shapely. Too bad you can't see me right now, but, believe me, I'm hot."

[Vigilantcitizen]

http://www.sparksonline.com/portfolioimages/XM1.jpg

Wita, I don't know if XM is going to CES. Our Philly branch stores and services that booth, but it was built here in Atlanta.

I do know that Philips electronics, Panasonic, Nvidia, and Cienna are clients of ours that will be at CES and COMDEX.

See some of those booths here:

http://www.sparksonline.com/exhibits/custom_sol_fr.html

[manic4organic]

I tried to install one in my business but couldn't get enough signal strength. A roof antenna isn't possible. Any solutions? (XM didn't have any accessories to help, such as an antenna extension cord)

[OldPossum]

I think you may be wrong. Go to their web site and take a look. I recall seeing at least a couple dozen; I saw this some time ago so I can't be certain of the number. I was impressed, though, by what I saw.

[Timesink]

XM also carries Fox news.

As does Sirius. Both carry the exact same Fox News Channel simulcast.

[Yo-Yo]

(XM didn't have any accessories to help, such as an antenna extension cord)

There is a commercial $24.95 per month XM business subscription, so they must have home mounted antennas and extension antenna cable. Maybe not at your local XM car stereo installer, however.

A better bet would be to contact a TV roof antenna installer, and tell them what you want to do. They'd have a better idea of what would need to be done at your location, and could fabricate the correct antenna wire extension.

Also, there are glass mounted antennas that are designed for the back window of a car. Perhaps you could try one on a window of your business if you have easy access to the outside glass (i.e. you're not on the 50th floor!)

[babaloo]

Thanks for the links for the programs. I will do some investigating.

[Voltage]

Can anyone tell me why we subsidize NPR?

Because the republicans don't dare to terminate the subsidy. Newt tried to do so and got run over.