Satellite Radio Soars

[dArKeR]

Satellite radio service was launched about two years ago. The satellites beam down over 100 channels of digital sound, blanketing the entire country. The only time these radio stations fade as you drive is when you drive right out of the country.

And, as CBS News Correspondent David Pogue observes, the trend is only likely to intensify.

You can listen to 60 or 70 music stations, each dedicated to a different style of music-gospel, salsa, movie soundtracks, and nonstop dance music-all without ever hearing a single commercial.

You also get about 40 talk-radio stations that cater to every conceivable interest:

Comedy channels, business channels, all-hockey channels, all Catholic channels-for all I know, there's probably an all-Catholic hockey channel.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/29/sunday/main620304.shtml

[Rationality]

1. Now how do I pirate the signal? If I can get it for free, maybe then

I'll be interested. Until I can crack it like we used to pirate HBO with pirate boxes back in the 80s-early 90s, so what? I'd rather download mp3s.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. No kidding

Adding up cable TV and Cable internet, I'm afraid to get one more subscription service.
"Making us pay for what we used to get for free"
Wait till they start Pay-per-view on Nascar, Football, Baseball, and everything else we "gotta see". Might as well wrap the cable 'round our necks and see how tight we can stand it.

[Leprechan29]

3. Ive had one satellite radio experience

A rental car in New Orleans was equipped with it, and let me say this: I have rarely been that contented in a car before. It's definitely worth the price.

[Bamboo]

4. I'm in the basement,baby,you're in the sky.

I heard on NPR that XM has spent $2 billion and has 1.6 million subscribers which is $1250 per subscriber.I have an XM radio for the home computer which was $49,with the monthly payment of $11.49 it will take them a long time to get their money back,it seems like I am "stealing" from XM which is one consolation.I could not get XM to work unless I allowed my firewall to let it access the internet which gives me the creeps.I would switch to Sirius if they offered a cheap radio and pay-as-you-go subscription.XM has announcements about Air America's show lineup which is always incorrect but on "America Right" they do not make that error.One thing that bothers me about Air America is how the hosts treat music and sound effects.They act like kids with a roman candle,gathering everyone around,lighting the fuse and then waving the smoke away.
http://www.observer.com/pages/story.asp?ID=5049

[Robert Oak]

5. What does free ad for XM have to do with politics & economics?