XM Satellite Radio Review

About four years ago I discovered XM Satellite Radio.  Now I'm afraid, there's just no turning back.

Are you a Fellow-Traveler?

No, I don't mean that in the "Joe McCarthy" sense of of the term.  You can continue breathing now.

XM Satellite Radio, with its over 130 stations (most commercial-free) can appeal to anyone, but it has real appeal to those of use who do some long distance driving.  you know, those drives that leave you hitting the scan button on your AM/FM radio looking for a signal, any signal that will pierce the night.  In desperation you're left listening to a lonesome cowboy lamenting his lost love, his dog and his pick-up truck.

Don't get me wrong.  I love Country.  But there's a time and a place for lonesome cowboys and the middle of the night isn't one of them.

With XM Satellite Radio, you choose your listening fare and lock in on it.  Traveling 1500 miles?  No problem.  With very few interruptions you'll listen to it each and every mile.  Whatever your listening taste, XM has something to offer you.

What's Playing?

Well first there's music, music and more music.  Music anyway you want to slice it.  Listen to it by the decade.  I can get lost in the 60's on occasion.  Or, you might want to listen by genre.  Rock, Classic Rock, Soul, Country Western, Folk, Hip Hop and Classical are main categories, but within each genre you'll find various stations to listen to.  More music, less chatter is a reality with XM.  The quality of the sound is virtually CD-like.

XM carries the full Major League Baseball schedule, so if you can't seem to get enough baseball on TV, this is the place to be while traveling.  Personally, ever since I was forced to listen to an afternoon of cricket match on radio during a trip from London to Manchester, I've lost my taste for listening to baseball.  The perils of world travel!

When I'm traveling long distances, particularly at night, I sometimes prefer to listen to talk radio.  It helps to keep my mind active as each mile slowly passes.  XM excels in this area.  It offers virtually all major talk and news channels including the audio portions of CNN, Fox News Network, MSNBC, CNBC, etc.  Add to that America Left and America Right so there's always something interesting and potentially inflammatory on to occupy your mind.

The Price

XM Satellite Radiois available for $12.95 a month for a first set and $6.95 for each additional set.  Subscribers can also listen to XM Online while staring at their LCD and hammering the keys of their computer (kind of like I'm doing right now).

Home kits are also available if you prefer to incorporate XM into your home audio system.

My Viewpoint

There was a time I would never have dreamed of paying for my radio reception, but no longer.  When the alternative is that lonesome cowboy in the middle of the night, I'll pony up the $12.95 a month for my XM.

Good listening,

Rudi