Satellite Radio Reaching Out *** Listeners Are Tuning in for the Variety of Programming, Quality of Signal Offered By XM, Sirius Networks

By JUDY BERGERON

Satellite radio reaching out *** Listeners are tuning in for the variety of programming, quality of signal offered by XM, Sirius networks

Howard Stern to Elvis Sports, talk, news, comedy and something for the kids. Martha, Ellen, and soon, Oprah.

Its not your paw-paws radio anymore.

The new millennium brought the radio industrys latest frontier, satellite radio, and so far, more than 9 million listeners have joined the satellite revolution. What satellite radio offers is channels, channels, and more channels 160 on XM Radio, 120-plus on slightly younger competitor, Sirius. And the music its commercial- free, and with improved, close-to-CD sound quality.

What satellite TV did for couch potatoes, satellite radio is attempting to do for those on the go drivers, runners, etc. and radio listeners at home: gve them as much choice and diversity as their three satellites each can beam back across the United States.

How do you get it?

Whats that old adage? Nothing in life is free. Well, that includes satellite radio. The first, and most substantial investment is the radio itself, as a regular radio will not work for satellite.

The equipment ranges from the portable unit that can work anywhere including the home, to units designed specifically for the automobile, to larger units made for at-home needs. Prices range from about $80 to $300, before the $30-$50 rebates on many models.

The equipment can be purchased from the satellite radio providers, in retail stores, or increasingly, installed in new vehicles before theyre driven off the lot. Some car manufacturers are exclusive to Sirius or XM, while others offer either service, Jim Collins, vice president of corporate communications for Sirius, said.

Just about every auto manufacturer out there has committed to satellite radio in some form or another, Collins said.

The system was originally designed for in-car use, and that remains its primary draw, Collins said.

There are some 220 million cars on the road, with a built-in growth rate of 16 to 17 million new cars sold each year, he said.

Once the equipment is purchased, the next step is choosing the provider. Both offer their service for a monthly fee of about $12.95, slightly cheaper if a subscriber makes a longer commitment with the company. Which company one chooses pretty much depends on what the subscriber is looking for.

Whats on Sirius, XM

Shock jock Howard Stern took many of his fans to Sirius with him when his satellite show debuted Jan. 9. But thats just one of Sirius 125-plus offerings, which include five Canadian channels. Music can be heard on 64 channels, and ranges from top hits of today back to the 70s, rock in every form, alternative, reggae, electronic and dance, hip-hop/R&B, country, Christian, jazz and blues, standards, classical, Latin and international.

The hosts can be a draw for some listeners, too. Steven Van Zandt has a channel, Little Stevens Underground Garage, while 50 Cent mans a show on hiphop/ R&Bs Shade 45. Listeners can catch Tony Hawke and Lance Armstrong on a channel called Faction, dominated by music that blends with the action sports lifestyle.

Beyond the music at Sirius, theres sports in the forms of ESPN Radio and ESPN News, three sports talk channels, several play-by- play channels and NBA Radio. Talk and entertainment options include Gay & Lesbian Radio, E! Entertainment Radio, Court TV, Grand Ole Opry, a stand-up comedy channel, Raw Dog Comedy, Radio Disney, EWTN Radio Catholic Network and Martha Stewart. Throw in news channels CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, BBC, NPR, C-SPAN, and traffic and weather news out of 20 U.S. cities, but not New Orleans.

Rival XM also has a ton of channels covering music by decades, country, pop & hits, Christian, rock, hip-hop & urban, jazz & blues, lifestyle, dance, Latin, world and classical. Snoop Dogg has a Friday night show on The Rhyme. Saturday night, listeners can catch The Rolling Stones in a live concert from Rio on the Deep Tracks Channel.

On the news side, theres Fox News, CNN, ABC, The Weather Channel, CNBC, Bloomberg, MSNBC, BBC, C-SPAN, Public Radio and CNN in Spanish. The sports play-by-plays, news and talk are there, along with NASCAR with Dale Earnhardt Jr., PGA and MLB channels. Radio Disney and XM Kids give the younger set something to listen to, and for the parents, there are more talk and entertainment channels including E! and Take Five, a womens talk and lifestyle channel featuring Ellen De- Generes and Tyra Banks shows. Oprah Winfrey will be launching her own channel, Oprah & Friends, in September, bringing on popular personalities from her TV show and magazine. Add to that three comedy channels, and traffic and weather from major cities.

What listeners say

Claude Levet of Hammond has been listening to Sirius for six or seven months now, and made the switch to satellite radio because he wanted a new source of music while traveling, and also wanted to get away from carrying and changing out CDs while driving.

Satellite radio gives me new music all the time and it was much easier to integrate into the car. I wanted to listen to bluegrass music, so I went on the Web sites and listened to them free for a few days, and Sirius had the better bluegrass channel, with more live DJs more up to date, Levet said.

Levet, university photographer at Southeastern Louisiana University, said he made the choice to go with Sirius not really knowing all the other channels it offers.

There really is a lot of nice stuff on the rest of the 140 or so channels, he said.

Levet said he divides his listening time among the bluegrass, news and talk channels.

The Sirius Left liberal talk channel is quite entertaining, Levet said, as people will say anything on the thus-far uncensored channel. The news channels, particularly CNN, were invaluable during Hurricane Katrina, he said. During the hurricane, I had no electricity at the house for weeks, so a couple of times a day Id go sit in my car and listen to CNN. I got most of my news about Katrina issues off CNN in my car. I was listening to the audio portion of it from a TV broadcast, and wishing I could see the pictures that they were talking about, too, you know, but it became a fairly good source of news for me. I was glad I had it just for that reason alone.

Levet, who sometimes travels to the Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania areas, said at this point he cant see traveling without his satellite radio.

Its kind of nice to have a little variety.

Kelly Adkinson of Baton Rouge is also enjoying the variety on her XM Satellite radio, a Christmas gift from her brother, and now installed in her truck.

Ive been listening to everything, I really have. I have an 11- month-old (daughter), so I listen to the kids channels for her. We listen to reggae, hip-hop, country, a little bit of everything, the assistant manager at Pier 1 Imports on Florida Boulevard said.

Adkinson said she likes the Top 20 on 20 channel, where XM subscribers call in and vote on the top 20 songs. Radio Disney is a hit with daughter Kyleigh, as is XM Kids.

Theyre both children-appropriate; they read stories and theres interactive music. Oh, she loves it.

A What Youll Hear listing on the XM Kids page of XMs Web site includes the New Orleans group Imagination Movers, which is getting some air play for its Weve Got Each Other (The Evacuation Song), which the kid-oriented band wrote after Hurricane Katrina.

Adkinson said she also listens to news, sports and talk channels.

Theres not something you cant find on it. I listen to the talk shows in the morning, because I dont like a lot of music in the morning.

ON THE INTERNET:

Sirius Satellite Radio

http://www.sirius.com

XM Satellite Radio

http://www.xmradio.com