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Will satellite kill the old radio stars?
News Press- Missouri | Feb 22, 2005 | SCOTT LAUCK

Posted on 02/22/2005 10:32:00 AM PST by LittleMoe

By SCOTT LAUCK

It’s the nature of technology these days to change from analog to digital and to move from the earth to the sky. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that satellite radio is becoming increasingly popular. Satellite radio has been around for years but has only recently begun to make a big dent in the market. In December, the United States’ two satellite radio companies, XM Radio and Sirius, reported record numbers of subscribers.

While mainstream FM radio continues to dominate, there are clearly a number of listeners who are trying something different.

Fred Dimmel, a student at Missouri Western State College, is among them. He first heard about satellite radio from an uncle who owned a car with the service factory-installed.

Mr. Dimmel says he forgot about satellite radio until he began looking for a space-efficient way to listen to music in his Ford Ranger.

“All I had in my truck was the tape player,” he says. “Rather than try to fit CDs into a small truck or finding a place to put a CD changer, the satellite deal was kind of the cheap, easy option to put in there and still get digital music and a pretty good selection, so I didn’t feel limited like with normal radio.”

Unlike normal FM or AM radio, which only broadcasts on a limited number of frequencies, satellite radio includes hundreds of channels, exposing listeners to a much wider variety of music, as well as talk radio, sports and other features.

Because users pay a subscription fee, most programs contain no commercials. In addition, the receivers can usually be plugged into a home stereo or computer, allowing for in-home use.

Like the majority of satellite radio listeners, Mr. Dimmel subscribes to XM Radio, the nation’s largest such provider. The Washington, D.C.-based company was founded 12 years ago, and as of December had 3.1 million subscribers.

XM’s competitor, New York, N.Y.-based Sirius, reported at the same time that it had surpassed its goal of 1 million subscribers. Company CEO Mel Karmazin called 2004 a “watershed year.” “We believe that this enthusiasm will continue, and we expect to double our subscribers during 2005,” he says.

Although younger and smaller than XM, Sirius got a boost this year when radio shock jock Howard Stern said he would begin broadcasting with the company in 2006.

Mr. Stern’s decision highlights another difference between satellite and conventional radio: looser regulations. While the U.S. Federal Communications Commission enforces decency rules on publicly broadcast material, subscription-based systems are left alone.

Both XM and Sirius have taken a number of other approaches to get their systems in people’s hands.

Among the most effective has been through deals with car manufacturers. These days, the systems come installed in a number of new vehicles.

While satellite radio offers a number of advantages, it has a few drawbacks as well. Unlike cell phones, service for satellite radio is available in far-flung locations. However, it is often blocked by tall buildings, parking garage roofs and other impediments. In larger cities, repeaters allow the signals to get through. However, Mr. Dimmel says he sometimes has trouble getting reception in downtown St. Joseph.

And occasionally, he said, he misses the ability to play his own CDs, noting that “you have more options but you can’t control what’s on there.”

Nonetheless, he’s found that loss hasn’t been much of a burden.

“It doesn’t happen as much as I thought it would,” he says.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy; US: Missouri; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: radio; satelliteradio; sirius; xmradio
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To: mercy

DITTO!


41 posted on 02/22/2005 11:00:37 AM PST by PatriotCJC
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To: ozzymandus

Perhaps
Arthur Godfrey. , Rudy Vallee, Edgar Bergan, Jack Benny?


42 posted on 02/22/2005 11:00:44 AM PST by LittleMoe
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To: ironcitymike
XM has two satellites and Sirius only one

Sirius has a three satellite constellation.

43 posted on 02/22/2005 11:00:47 AM PST by Archangelsk (There is nothing more cowardly than a keyboard warrior.)
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To: LittleMoe
I have a dealer-installed Sirius in my BMW, and a plug-and-play which I move between my Jeep and my home office, where I hook it up to a Bose Wave radio on my desk.

I highly recommend Sirius (not that I dislike XMSR; it's just that I have little experience with it).

I'm sure you don't need a recitation of the channels available; you can find all you need to know on each company's web site. Suffice it to say that both offer 60+ advertising-free music streams (there is some self-promotion and cross-promotion, such as reminding listeners what's on other Sirius streams, but we're talking maybe 30-60 seconds per hour, not 20 minutes of ads per hour like on FM. News/talk does have advertising, especially those channels not originated by Sirius, such as CNBC and Fox News.

My built-in unit is "slicker" -- fully integrated into the stock stereo system, including 18 pre-sets, and steering-wheel volume and channel-changing controls. Other than the small roof mounted antenna, you'd never know it was there until you turned it on. It acts as a 4th band on the stereo -- AM, FM, CD, and Sirius.

Even so, I like the one I use in my Jeep better. Not as pretty -- it slips into a bracket mounted on top of the dash -- but more information is provided on the display. Both systems tell you the song title and artist, but you have to hit a couple of buttons on the dash on the built-in model, whereas that information stays displayed on the face of the plug-and-play at all times.

Title and artist ID is a terrific feature, especially when I venture over to one of the classical streams. Being a Carolina redneck, I don't usually know Bach from Beethoven, and on typical FM, I'd have to wait for the end of the piece for the announcer to tell me what I just heard -- provided, of course, that I hadn't driven out of the station's range by then. Which, of course, isn't a problem with sat radio.

I'm a most enthusiastic and satisfied customer. I also did well with the stock, and am looking for a re-entry point, now that it's well below where it was when I sold. I firmly believe sat radio will be standard equipment on all high-end cars within 3 years, and available as an option on less expensive models.

44 posted on 02/22/2005 11:02:21 AM PST by southernnorthcarolina (<b><font color=e58d0e>Did you know that HTML codes don't work on tag lines?</font></b>)
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To: LittleMoe; t_skoz; Andrewksu; bmwcyle; BurbankKarl; Paraclete; ncpatriot; amadeus; ...

XM Radio Ping list! FR-mail me to get added to or removed from this ping list.

45 posted on 02/22/2005 11:03:08 AM PST by t_skoz ("let me be who I am - let me kick out the jams!")
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To: clodkicker; Al Gator
Reading is fundamental!

So if you have the receiver model that is built-in to your car, you need another subscription if you want to listen in your house.

I was relating my research. I wanted a clean installation, not some Rube Goldberg contraption.

46 posted on 02/22/2005 11:03:41 AM PST by whd23
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To: whd23


Not so. I got the home kit in the deal
with XM. Simply move the the little unit from
car to my home office. Works great.


47 posted on 02/22/2005 11:04:51 AM PST by Perfesser
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To: LittleMoe
Did some searching on satellite radios and ran across this article. How many of you out there own a satellite radio or are thinking of getting one? I am thinking of placing a sirius in my car. Thoughts?

I was the biggest skeptic of satellite radio, and never believed that they would convince people to pay for content. But then I bought a car recently with XM satellite radio, and am a complete convert! I am now even looking into buying a second radio for my other car so that I can listen in my car (alas, the wife gets to drive the new car with XM). The choice of music genre is very complete (although I expect even more variety will be added over time). I love the decade channels (i.e. channel 4 plays all '40s music, channel 5 plays all '50s music, etc). I also enjoy the comedy and news channels. I have taken a couple of long driving trips, and never once took it off of XM the whole trip. I highly recommend satellite radio! (From a former skeptic).
48 posted on 02/22/2005 11:06:22 AM PST by AaronInCarolina
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To: LittleMoe
Will satellite kill the old radio stars?

Don't know, but it would be fine with me if one took out Dan Blather and a few other "TV stars".

49 posted on 02/22/2005 11:06:31 AM PST by bigbob (2)
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To: LittleMoe
I have 2 XM units, the original XM SKYFI and a smaller version that I can't remember the name of right now. My SKYFI plays in my XM boombox in my office and I transfer it to my truck while travelling.

The smaller unit is in my wife's car most of the time and we use that unit in our motor home when we travel. Both units perform as advertised and we could not be happier.

I love being able to listen to FOX while on the road and also to a lot of great talk radio programs such as Hannity, Laura Ingraham, John Batchelor, Tony Snow, Reagan, Glenn Beck, Dr. Laura all on the satellite these days.

Sirius did a contract with the NFL which would be nice on XM although XM does cover my favorite college conference, the ACC. Good luck!

MoodyBlu

50 posted on 02/22/2005 11:06:51 AM PST by MoodyBlu
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To: whd23

Hey Yo!!

What? You gotta problem with Rube?

Don't go badmoutin ol Rube!!


LOL

Yes I did read your post, and yes it is true what you say.

I think xm has an add on feature. I think its a bit pricey right now, but if Serius gives them some heat, look for that to turn into a better package.


51 posted on 02/22/2005 11:07:51 AM PST by Al Gator
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To: Perfesser
Not so.

quite so. See my post #46. Or re-read my post 25 where I state that I am writing about the built-in model receiver.

52 posted on 02/22/2005 11:08:11 AM PST by whd23
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To: Al Gator

There are times and places where the Rube Goldberg approach is appropriate (I am a software engineer, after all ;) ). But in this case I wanted a clean install.


53 posted on 02/22/2005 11:10:55 AM PST by whd23
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To: LittleMoe
If a Satellite radio station offered reruns of Rush and Laura Ingraham, sans advertisements, that would be alone to justify the cost for me (actually, either Rush or Laura would justify the cost). I do not even spend much time in a car. I would get it for home.

Satellite seems to carry a lot of leftist junk now.

54 posted on 02/22/2005 11:13:21 AM PST by Montfort
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To: whd23

There is something to be said for clean installs. Like, not getting tangled up in antenna wire when driving. :-)


55 posted on 02/22/2005 11:13:32 AM PST by Al Gator
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To: LittleMoe

When cable first started, it was advertised as "commercial free TV". The monthly bill was about $7 bucks about 1985.

Now, we watch more commercials than ever, and the bill starts at $40-50 bucks, without the digital box rental and other "movie channels".

Satellite radio has a monthly fee which will increase as usual. You will also note more advertising in the future. The isn't crystal ball stuff, just following the money pattern.


56 posted on 02/22/2005 11:14:46 AM PST by wizr (Freedom ain't free.)
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To: Montfort

OOOHHH I dunno, I can get a lot of the lesser known right talk.

Of course for news, there is only Fox, the rest are the usual MSM suspects.


57 posted on 02/22/2005 11:14:55 AM PST by Al Gator
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To: Al Gator

Yep. I got enough crud strewn around the car already!


58 posted on 02/22/2005 11:17:08 AM PST by whd23
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To: mercy

I suspect that Rush don't really give a rat's ass if you listen or not.....as for me, I listen every day and have since 1988. I can't see what is self serving about him....he has been a major factor in the conservative revolution over the last 15 years. He is a fierce advocate for freedom and if you are conservative or libertarian conservative, you have benefited from his work.....he does not deserve disparaging comments coming from Freepers.


59 posted on 02/22/2005 11:17:09 AM PST by B.O. Plenty (Liberalism is a terminal disease.......)
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To: So Cal Rocket

Laura Ingrahm is also on XM at 9AM PT on 166 "America Right" channel


60 posted on 02/22/2005 11:18:06 AM PST by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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