Hot Gift for the Holidays: Satellite
Radio
(ARA) - With over 100 channels of music, news, sports, and
entertainment, satellite radio is shaping up to be one of the hottest
gifts of the holiday season.
Best Buy, the nation’s largest
electronics retail chain, says that XM Satellite Radio is “the
most-wanted mobile electronic accessory this holiday season.” People
magazine recommends XM as a “cool gadget” in its annual gift-giving
guide. The online retailer
Amazon.com
suggests XM as a gift for music
fans and gadget lovers alike.
Satellite radio offers programming to
satisfy most every taste, from classical music to hip hop, Fox News to
BBC Radio, ESPN to audio books.
Unlike typical FM and AM radio stations,
satellite radio channels play few or no commercials. Listeners can tune
into satellite radio without interruption or “fade outs” as they travel
from coast to coast, and the sound is digital quality. As a song plays,
the name of the artist and title is displayed on the radio screen.
XM, the leading provider of satellite
radio, can be played on the car radio, the home stereo, or the computer.
XM also has a portable “boombox” that can be carried most anywhere,
indoors or outdoors. XM Radio listeners pay a monthly subscription fee
of $9.99 a month.
When satellite radio was first
introduced, some questioned whether a subscription radio service could
compete with ”free” radio. But with over 1 million subscribers in less
than two years of business, XM says the service has struck a chord with
the public.
Hugh Panero, president and CEO of XM,
says the primary appeal to holiday gift shoppers is the variety of
programming that satellite radio offers. “No matter who you’re shopping
for, XM Radio has programs just for them,” Panero said. “If someone on
your list likes classical music, XM offers three classical channels with
no commercials. Maybe your spouse is into country music. XM offers six
different kinds of country channels, including contemporary country,
classic country, and bluegrass. If your nephew is a rock fan, XM gives
him 12 rock channels, which run the gamut from classic rock to the
latest sounds by underground bands. For the commuter or the car-pooler,
XM helps takes the edge off with seven jazz and blues channels. Plus,
we’ve got eight urban music channels, reggae, opera, electronica,
contemporary Christian, tejano, and dozens of other choices.”
XM has a total of 70 music channels, plus
31 news, sports, and entertainment channels, including CNN, Fox News,
ESPN, E! Entertainment and an exclusive NASCAR channel. The
award-winning Sonic Theater airs radio dramas and audio books, and Radio
Classics has old-time radio favorites like The Lone Ranger and The
Shadow.
One of XM’s more unique channels is XM
Comedy, which airs uncut stand-up routines by the likes of Chris Rock
and George Carlin, while Laugh USA offers up family-friendly fare from
comics like Ray Romano and Bill Cosby.
For the holidays, three XM Radio channels
are devoted solely to holiday music. One plays pop hits like “Rockin’
Around the Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” Another channel
features traditional seasonal tunes, and a third offers funny, strange,
and slightly bizarre holiday fare mixed with rock holiday songs.
The broad array of programming on
satellite radio is especially evident at the XM studios in Washington,
D.C., where DJs broadcast live each day.
A typical tour of XM Radio begins at the
‘80s studio, where on-air hosts play chart toppers and obscure gems from
the decade, surrounded by posters of Duran Duran and “Fast Times at
Ridgemont High.” Next is the XM Kids studio, where hosts play children’s
tunes, read stories, and take phone calls. Around the corner is The
Groove studio, the home for old-school R&B faves like Marvin Gaye, Earth
Wind & Fire, and Barry White.
Once you’ve seen all 82 studios under the
XM roof, your tour winds up at the XM performance theater, where artists
such as jazz legend Wynton Marsalis and rockers Fountains of Wayne have
performed live on XM.
XM also has broadcast studios in New York
City and Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
XM Radio is broadcast from coast to coast
by two satellites called “Rock” and “Roll” and boosted by a network of
800 repeater antennas located across the country.
XM offers several kinds of radios for the
car, the home, or on the go. The newest XM radio for autos is the Delphi
XM Roady. The Roady comes with a micro antenna, the smallest
satellite-radio antenna on the market (it’s about the size of a tea
bag). With a suggested retail price of $119.99, Roady is currently the
most affordable satellite-radio option for vehicles.
The SKYFi audio system, or “boombox,”
retails for $229.99. A $30 mail-in rebate for SKYFi receivers is
available through December 31.
XM Radio is sold at retail and online stores such as
Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, and Sears. XM is also available as a
feature in more than 80 new cars for 2004.
For more information about XM Radio, you
can visit the XM Web site at www.xmradio.com. Fans of XM have their own,
independent Web site at www.xmfan.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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