(NAPSA)—If you think your favorite song is “out of this world,” you just may be right. Satellite radio is quickly becoming a popular way for people to tune into a broad variety of music, sports, talk and entertainment programming. The technology works by transmitting digital quality sound via satellite to special radios. The result is 100 channels broadcast with a clear signal coast-to-coast. Satellite radio represents the first major change in radio technology since FM was introduced nearly 40 years ago. “There are even fewer choices on the radio away from the big cities,” said Hugh Panero, president and CEO of XM Satellite Radio. “We understand millions of music fans may not live near a mall or major retailer, which is why satellite radio is important for local, smaller markets.” XM’s programming lineup features 100 coast-to-coast channels: 71 music channels (many of which are commercial free) from hip-hop to opera, classical to country and bluegrass to blues. XM also features 29 channels of news, sports (including ESPN Radio and a 24/7 NASCAR Radio Channel), talk and entertainment. For $9.99 a month, XM brings to the car, for the first time on radio, the same diverse selection of 24-hour news sources available in the home on cable and DIRECTV. The service is beamed into cars or homes through XM radios, manufactured by companies such as Pioneer, Alpine and Sony, which can be bought at consumer elec- a“a >a wat Satellite radio technology can “beam” CD-quality sound to peo- ple across the country. tronics stores nationwide. These radios also receive AM and FM. General Motors recently rolled out factory-installed XM radios in Cadillac DeVille and Seville models, and will expand to 25 Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, GMC, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac models this year. Nissan, Infiniti, VW/Audi and Isuzu also will offer XM. “With thousands of subscribers signing up for XM every week, the XM ‘car potato’ phenomenon is quickly catching on—people across America finding excuses to drive around or sit in their drivewaysjust to listen to XM,” Panero added. XM was named “Product of the Year” by Fortune magazine, and “Invention of the Year” by Time magazine and won Popular Science’s 2001 “Best of What’s New” Grand Award in the electronics category. For more information or to locate an XM dealer near you, visit www.xmradio.com or call 1- 877-XM-RADIO.
