(ARA) – With over 100 channels of music, news, sports, and entertainment, satellite radio is shaping up to be one of the hottest gifts.
Best Buy, the nations largest electronics retail chain, recently declared that the XM satellite radio was one of the most wanted mobile electronics gifts. Business Week magazine named the Roady satellite radio one of the best products of the year alongside the new $20 bill and the AIDS medicine Fuzeon.
Satellite radio aims to offer programming to satisfy most every taste, from classical music to hip hop, bluegrass to blues, underground rock to contemporary hits. Non-music channels include Fox News, BBC Radio, ESPN Radio, and audio books.
Unlike typical FM and AM radio stations, satellite radio channels play few or no commercials. Listeners can tune into a favorite station in one city and keep listening as they travel from coast to coast without interruption. The sound is static-free and sharper than traditional radio. Satellite radios also have a display screen that shows the name of the artist and song playing on each channel.
XM, the leading provider of satellite radio, can be played on a car radio, home stereo, or computer. It offers a portable boombox that can be carried most places, indoors or outdoors. Listeners pay a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 a month.
When satellite radio was first introduced in 2001, there were plenty of skeptics. Many 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, the company president and CEO, says the primary appeal to shoppers is the variety of programming. Satellite radio has something that appeals to most anyone, whether you like jazz, stand-up comedy, or NASCAR racing, said Panero.
Some of the more unique channels offer childrens music and storytelling, old-time radio shows like The Shadow and The Lone Ranger, and music that gets scant airplay on FM and AM, such as reggae, tejano, and folk music.
There are several kinds of satellite radios at prices ranging from $50 to $300. The newest model for the car and home is the Delphi Roady. It comes with a radio receiver, micro antenna, and car adapters for $119.99.
Another option is the portable SKYFI audio system, which retails for $229.99.
Satellite radios are available at most retail stores that sell consumer electronics. You can also get it as a feature in several models of new cars.
For more information about XM Radio, you can visit its 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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