Would you pay extra to receive at least 180 digital radio channels in your car, no matter where you drive in the U.S. - all categorized by type of music or entertainment and many without commercials?
That's the promise of digital satellite radio, currently offered by SiriusXM Satellite Radio (which until a couple of years ago were two competing companies that have since merged). Satellite radio offers mixes of single-format music, news, sports, weather and talk radio stations, all beamed from satellites hovering above the U.S.
SiruisXM offers 71 commercial-free music, 40 news and entertainment, 40 sports and 12 traffic and weather channels. It broadcasts separate channels dedicated to music for each decade from the 1940s to the '90s and several channels devoted to Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, Soul and Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, Country, Latin and Classical. SiriusXM's news and entertainment channels include Fox News, CNN Headline News, CNBC, ABC News and Talk Channels, The Weather Channel, Bloomberg News, BBC World Service, ESPN Radio, The Sporting News, NASCAR Radio and kids programming, as well as six comedy channels.
Think of satellite radio like cable TV, providing a variety of programming beyond the reception capabilities of traditional radio. Because the signals are coming from satellites 23,000 miles above the earth reception isn't a problem, even in sparsely populated areas. Also, it's an alternative to carrying an armful of CDs on your next long road trip. You receive the same channels across the entire U.S. and up to 200 miles offshore. In addition, there is a smartphone app for subscribers, and you can listen online (though some stations are not available on mobile or internet devices).
To get satellite radio you'll have to pay a monthly subscription fee that varies depending on the subscription type. You can get music only, or some but not all of the channels from XM and Sirius, for example. There are discounted rates for multi-year commitment and family plans. You'll also need a specific digital receiver to pick up the signal, and though the two companies have merged, manufacturers will likely have either a Sirius or XM system radio (some, like Audi, have exclusivity agreements). Newer cars will have a receiver that allows many channels from both to tune in. As of this writing, one radio exists for purchase as the only interoperable radio capable of receiving every Sirius and XM station, and it requires a subscription to the company’s All-In-One package. Note that much older cars, equipped with satellite radios when the systems were first introduced, may be analog only. With that signal no longer supported, a conversion to digital may be required if it has not already been done by the previous owner.
Many new vehicles come with a free trial period of three to six months of service, at which point you'll be billed should you wish to continue to receive the signal. Satellite signals function as nothing more than another band on your radio, along with AM and FM, so if you elect to not continue you simply don’t tune in.
