News

Satellite radio is poised to become a dominant force in the 21st century. Both XM Radio and Sirius Radio are now in full operation, with subscriptions booming and compatible electronics available at dealers nationwide.

On July 23, XM announced some major refinements to its 100-channel lineup, with new music and entertainment programs taking effect August 3. Among XM's new musical offerings will be channels for neo-soul, folk music, and easy listening. Non-musical entertainment will include audio books and dramas, and rebroadcasts of old-time radio dramas.

XM's new programming includes current country favorites on channel 11's "Nashville!" Channel 61's "The Flow," advertised as the "first dedicated Neo-Soul channel," features R&B, jazz, funk, hip-hop, and soul from performers such as Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Tweet, and Macy Gray. Channel 67's "The City" is a hip-hop/R&B format featuring Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, Usher, Ludacris, and others.

Fans of club music will find plenty of electronica on channel 82's "The System," with tunes by the Chemical Brothers, Paul Oakenfold, the Crystal Method, and Fatboy Slim. "The Village," on channel 15, features artists such as Woody Guthrie, Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger, and the Chieftains. "Sunny," the easy-listening format on channel 24, is where you can find recordings by Percy Faith, Roger Williams, Barbra Streisand, and Herb Alpert.

"Sonic Theater," on channel 163, will offer "audio books and radio dramas for all tastes," and channel 164's "Radio Classics" is your source for programs from the Golden Age of Radio, including The Shadow, Abbott & Costello, Dragnet, and The Lone Ranger. "Radio Classics" is a joint production by XM and MediaBay, Inc.

The new programming will take its place alongside XM's existing multi-genre music, sports, news, and comedy offerings, with some channels being shifted to new frequencies and others being deleted. On September 3, the service also plans to add Playboy Radio, its first adult premium channel, at $2.99 per month over the basic subscription fee. XM's additions and changes are part of an ongoing effort to "offer the most comprehensive, compelling, cutting-edge programming available on radio," according to XM president and CEO Hugh Panero. "After nearly a year of delivering America's first nationwide digital satellite radio service, we've learned a lot about our listener's tastes and preferences," Panero explained, adding that the enhancements are "based largely on subscriber feedback." A complete listing of XM's new channel numbers can be found here. XM compatible receivers made by Sony, Alpine and Pioneer are available at electronics dealers throughout the US.

On July 23, Sirius Satellite Radio and Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company announced the launch of a new series of satellite receiver products that should arrive at dealers in September. Among new Panasonic Sirius are receivers intended for the commercial truck market, as well as products for private automobiles. Panasonic Sirius mobile receivers feature "easy to read" scrolling displays showing artist, song title, and Sirius channel name and number. They also offer 18 programmable preset channels and the ability to search channels by category. Sirius CEO Joseph P. Clayton said his company is "very excited" about the partnership with Panasonic, which he described as "one of the most recognizable brands in the world today."

One of the most useful new products for music fans who want to try Sirius satellite radio without making a big financial commitment is the CR-SRF 100 universal adaptor kit, which enables any vehicle with an FM radio to receive Sirius Radio's 60 commercial-free music and 40 news, sports and entertainment channels. The adaptor kits are being produced at Matsushita's Peachtree City, Georgia, manufacturing plant, south of Atlanta. The plant's initial capacity is said to be 350,000 units per year, with maximum output over one million units annually.

Matsushita, Panasonic's parent corporation, expects "significant demand for these satellite radio products and for the Sirius service," according to vice president John B. Newman. "We're also very excited about the audio performance we are receiving from the Sirius system. The fidelity and clarity are far superior to what people are accustomed to in AM or FM radio. We're convinced that once you listen to Sirius on a Panasonic system, it will be hard to go back to regular radio." Kenwood, Clarion, Audiovox, and Jensen also make Sirius satellite receivers.