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Satellites of Love
Why you should care about satellite radio
You may not care unless you're one of the more than 16 million people who subscribe to either XM (8.6 million) or Sirius satellite radio (7.7 million), but their on-again, off-again merger looks like it's on again. In fact, according to reports on Friday, approval by the Justice Department, the one remaining hurdle, is imminent.
Why should you care?
Well, dunno if you listen to terrestrial radio anymore, but I rarely do. Unless you like hearing wing-nut propaganda or circle-jerk sports talk shows, AM is a vast wasteland (and Air America is a snooze). As for FM, the public stations are fine in small doses, college radio is inconsistent and unreliable, and the classic rockers play songs we were sick of 20+ years ago. If you're a fan of any other kind of music (except the type played in elevators and dental offices), you are ill-served by FM. (Licensed to ill? Apparently.)
Like cable or satellite TV, satellite radio offers hundreds of stations and lots of choices. I like choices; choices are good. Unlike the dolts who program most radio stations, I wanna hear different kinds of music, not just one. Most earth-bound stations play only one kind of music — badly — so I like satellite radio.
But because of high start-up costs (you try launching a half-dozen satellites into orbit and maintaining them) plus operating expenses, the price of talent (Bababooie!), and the relatively low number of subscribers, (and lack of profits), it became increasingly clear that two competing providers cannot survive. Of course, the crappy terrestrial stations' lobbying group, the National Association of Broadcasters, has been fighting the merger, using whatever funky tactics they can come up with.
Why should you care?
Well, dunno if you listen to terrestrial radio anymore, but I rarely do. Unless you like hearing wing-nut propaganda or circle-jerk sports talk shows, AM is a vast wasteland (and Air America is a snooze). As for FM, the public stations are fine in small doses, college radio is inconsistent and unreliable, and the classic rockers play songs we were sick of 20+ years ago. If you're a fan of any other kind of music (except the type played in elevators and dental offices), you are ill-served by FM. (Licensed to ill? Apparently.)
Like cable or satellite TV, satellite radio offers hundreds of stations and lots of choices. I like choices; choices are good. Unlike the dolts who program most radio stations, I wanna hear different kinds of music, not just one. Most earth-bound stations play only one kind of music — badly — so I like satellite radio.
But because of high start-up costs (you try launching a half-dozen satellites into orbit and maintaining them) plus operating expenses, the price of talent (Bababooie!), and the relatively low number of subscribers, (and lack of profits), it became increasingly clear that two competing providers cannot survive. Of course, the crappy terrestrial stations' lobbying group, the National Association of Broadcasters, has been fighting the merger, using whatever funky tactics they can come up with.
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17:40 EST, 03.Dec.07